INDIA bloc holds symbolic public impeachment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, demands his removal

NEW DELHI: The Opposition INDIA bloc on Saturday held a symbolic public impeachment proceeding against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in New Delhi, accusing him of electoral irregularities and seeking his removal from office.

The programme, held at 10, Rajaji Marg, brought together leaders from around 21 Opposition parties. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the proceedings, while Kharge initiated the motion listing six allegations against the CEC. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to deliver the concluding remarks.

The charges levelled by the Opposition included conspiring to steal elections, deleting 13.2 crore voters from electoral rolls, rewriting Form 6 without Parliament's approval, seizing electoral rolls through ECINET and excluding the other two Election Commissioners from decision-making. The bloc also accused Kumar of acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Addressing the gathering, Kharge said the Opposition was demanding the removal of the CEC, an end to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes to the 2023 law governing the appointment of Election Commissioners.

He alleged that the SIR exercise was being used to remove genuine voters, particularly those opposed to the ruling BJP. He also raised concerns over the deletion of names from electoral rolls and the impact on vulnerable sections.

Meira Kumar said the Opposition would convene a meeting to move an impeachment motion against Kumar in the Rajya Sabha, with Kharge taking the lead. She stressed that every eligible citizen must retain the right to vote.

The exercise was organised as part of the Opposition's wider campaign against alleged voter deletions and irregularities in the electoral process. It was originally scheduled for Friday but postponed due to rain in Delhi.

The symbolic proceedings are not a formal constitutional impeachment or removal process.

(With inputs from media reports)