NEW DELHI: The INDIA bloc on Saturday staged a symbolic impeachment proceeding against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar during a mock Parliament in the national capital, intensifying its confrontation with the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The programme, presided over by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, brought together leaders from several Opposition parties who accused the Election Commission of undermining democratic principles and deleting genuine voters’ names from electoral rolls. The BJP rejected the exercise as political theatrics, defending the constitutional safeguards available to the CEC.
Addressing the gathering, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that constitutional institutions were being misused to undermine democracy and electoral rights.
“We are not going to let you escape,” Gandhi declared, warning that those allegedly involved in undermining democratic institutions would be held accountable. He asserted that the Opposition had evidence against the CEC and claimed that Gyanesh Kumar would not continue in office if the allegations were established.
Gandhi also said the Opposition would continue its fight to protect the Constitution and the voting rights of citizens, describing the campaign as a united effort against alleged electoral manipulation.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has announced plans to move an impeachment motion against Gyanesh Kumar in the Rajya Sabha. Kharge has levelled six allegations against the CEC, including alleged attempts to manipulate elections, deletion of 13.2 crore voters from electoral rolls, changes to Form 6 without parliamentary oversight, the use of ECINET to control electoral rolls, exclusion of the other two Election Commissioners from key decisions, and acting at the behest of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. These remain Opposition allegations.
Kharge also accused the Election Commission of using the SIR exercise to remove voters opposed to the BJP, maintaining that the Opposition was seeking to protect the rights of genuine voters.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said the right to vote was central to democracy and argued that denying even one eligible citizen the opportunity to vote undermined the electoral process. She said the proposed motion would be moved in the Rajya Sabha by Kharge.
Several Opposition leaders defended the mock Parliament, saying they had been denied opportunities to discuss their concerns in the two Houses. Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav described the exercise as a “people’s Parliament”, while Congress MP Praniti Shinde said it brought together elected representatives, civil society groups and people allegedly affected by voter deletions.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the proceedings as a dignified and constructive discussion and expressed confidence about the INDIA bloc’s rally scheduled for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan. Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad said the programme was intended to convey public concerns, while RJD MP Sanjay Yadav accused the BJP of making a mockery of democratic institutions.
The BJP mounted a strong counterattack. Party MP Sambit Patra said the constitutional protection available to the President and the CEC had not been newly created by the government, arguing that the relevant safeguards were already enshrined in the Constitution.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi criticised the Congress-led Opposition, accusing it of attempting to create unrest through the mock Parliament. Another BJP leader, Tarun Chugh, dismissed the programme as “melodrama” and questioned the Opposition’s decision to organise a parallel parliamentary exercise.
The political confrontation comes ahead of the INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan, where Opposition leaders are expected to intensify their campaign over alleged voter deletions, electoral reforms and the functioning of the Election Commission.
