Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 1: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday issued a strong warning to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of colluding with the ruling establishment to undermine voters' rights and demanding that he face trial for treason.
Addressing the INDIA bloc's symbolic 'public impeachment' proceedings against Kumar in New Delhi, Gandhi described the gathering as an "extremely dangerous political weapon" directed against those allegedly involved in destroying the votes of Indian citizens.
He warned the CEC and others in the Narendra Modi government allegedly responsible for 'vote chori' that the Opposition would not forgive or forget what he termed an assault on the democratic rights of the people.
"I fully support the motion to impeach Gyanesh Kumar, who should be tried for treason in a court of law and justice should be served," Gandhi said in his concluding remarks.
The proceedings were held at the residence of Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge on the eve of the INDIA bloc's mega rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan. Gandhi questioned the circumstances that forced opposition leaders to organise the symbolic proceedings at a private residence rather than in an institutional setting.
He said around 250 opposition MPs, civil society representatives and mediapersons had gathered in the garden because the Opposition had no access to other institutions.
"The reason we are standing here is that we have nowhere else to go. We have no other option. Every single institution is closed for us," he said.
Gandhi said it was unprecedented for the entire Opposition to assemble in a garden to discuss the removal of the country's Chief Election Commissioner.
The event was attended by Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal, among other senior leaders. Representatives of at least 18 opposition parties and Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal also participated.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the proceedings, while Kharge moved the resolution outlining the Opposition's allegations against the CEC. After nearly three hours of speeches and deliberations, the resolution seeking Kumar's removal was adopted unanimously through a show of hands.
Gandhi claimed that the Opposition possessed sufficient evidence against Kumar and asserted that he would not be allowed to continue as Chief Election Commissioner.
"We have enough evidence to ensure that this gentleman does not continue in office. If the BJP insists on retaining him even after we reveal what we know, then its game will be clear for everyone to see," he said.
Describing the gathering as a political weapon against those allegedly responsible for electoral manipulation, Gandhi named Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Kumar, accusing them of colluding to destroy the votes of Indian citizens.
He said those responsible were attempting to hide behind the constitutional institution they had sworn to protect, but would eventually have to face the representatives of the people.
"This is not just some talk taking place in a garden; this is a political weapon that is going to give justice to the people of India," he said.
A major part of Gandhi's address focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He claimed that 13.3 crore voters had been deleted from electoral rolls, representing approximately 15 per cent of the electorate or one in every seven Indians.
He linked the alleged deletions to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, pointing out that the difference in vote share between the Opposition and the winning side was around three percentage points. Gandhi argued that the scale of the alleged deletions raised serious questions about the legitimacy of the election results.
He claimed that the Election Commission's position effectively suggested that 15 per cent of voters who had participated in the previous general election should not have been eligible to vote.
"You cannot delete 13.3 crore voters and then argue that the 2024 elections were legal," he said.
The Congress leader accused Kumar of attacking the democratic foundations of the country and warned that neither constitutional immunity nor political protection would shield those responsible from public accountability.
Targeting the Modi government, Gandhi alleged that the misuse of constitutional institutions and electoral manipulation could continue only temporarily. He said the Opposition, young protesters and citizens would continue fighting to protect democratic rights.
"This is a warning to you – things are shifting. This is a new political weapon sitting in the garden, and it is going to hurt you very badly if you continue going down your path," he said.
Gandhi added that the Opposition was not driven by personal hostility but was determined to defend the Constitution and the people's voice.
The symbolic public impeachment was organised as part of the INDIA bloc's continuing campaign against alleged 'vote chori' and irregularities in the SIR exercise. The proceedings were not a formal constitutional impeachment process.
The Opposition has been demanding Kumar's resignation and accountability from the Election Commission over alleged large-scale deletion of voters' names. The campaign is set to gather further momentum with the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi.