Bengal BJP Chief 'Gyanesh Kumar Deserves Padma Bhushan for SIR'

West Bengal BJP chief Samik Bhattacharya said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar deserved a Padma Bhushan "at the very least", and credited him with ensuring a violence-free assembly election in the state and "cleansing" the voter list by removing illegal Bangladeshis.

Bhattacharya's defence of the CEC came amid a major controversy over the poll panel's functioning after reports surfaced that two election commissioners had objected to decisions allegedly taken in



their names during the SIR exercise.

The Padma Bhushan is India's third-highest civilian award. Speaking to reporters at Panihati in North 24 Parganas district on Friday, Bhattacharya also dismissed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's statements where he branded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CEC Kumar as "traitors" and said they would be investigated for "destroying" the foundation of India's democracy -- the vote of the common man -- by rigging polls.