He levelled six charges against CEC Kumar over alleged irregularities in the conduct of elections and the revision of electoral rolls.
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of committing “treason against the nation and the Constitution of India”.
Earlier reporting noted: Kharge to move motion, ex-LS speaker Meira Kumar to preside over INDIA bloc’s mock impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar Former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar will preside over the INDIA bloc’s mock public impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi on Saturday, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will initiate the proceedings. He also accused the CEC of acting in favour of the ruling BJP, denying opposition leaders a fair hearing and compromising the Election Commission’s constitutional independence. The Congress chief additionally alleged that members of Kumar’s family had received benefits, including plum postings and opportunities for financial gains, in return for his alleged compliance with the ruling establishment.
Earlier reporting noted: It will be attended by nearly 21 opposition parties, which includes INDIA bloc members and several Left parties, India Today reported.
During the mock parliament held by INDIA bloc leaders in Delhi to publicly impeach Gyanesh Kumar, Kharge accused the CEC of being part of an alleged conspiracy “orchestrated by the BJP” to manipulate national and state elections by allowing unauthorised access to voter lists and facilitating the addition and deletion of voters. Earlier reporting noted: The public “impeachment” programme planned by the opposition against the CEC over alleged electoral irregularities will take place at Kharge’s residence, 10, Rajaji Marg, from 3.30 pm onwards. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh had on Wednesday claimed that the opposition had been denied police permission to hold the “impeachment” at public venues, while accusing the government of trying to silence the voice of common people and “destroying” the electoral system.
Presided over by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, the proceedings took place at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. INDIA bloc leaders, MPs, civil society representatives and people who alleged that their names had been wrongly deleted from electoral rolls attended the event. The ‘public impeachment’ of Gyanesh Kumar, which was originally scheduled for October 30, was postponed due to rain in the national capital.
The mock proceedings were held ahead of the opposition’s November 1 rally in Delhi, aimed at mounting pressure for Kumar’s removal.
Reacting to the INDIA bloc’s public impeachment, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress and other opposition parties were making all-out efforts to “somehow vitiate the atmosphere” through a mock parliament and calls for marches over alleged vote theft.
Among the key charges, Kharge held the CEC responsible for the alleged deletion of 13.2 crore voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming the exercise was “partisan, opaque and violated the constitutional right to vote”.
