New Delhi: The INDIA bloc has finalised plans to organise a mock Parliament and a symbolic impeachment proceeding against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at New Delhi’s Ashoka Hotel on October 30, days before the Opposition alliance’s joint public rally on November 1.
According to CPI general secretary D Raja, the mock Parliament and impeachment session will be held at the Ashoka Hotel lawns on October 30 in the afternoon.
The programme is an extension of an idea floated earlier this month during discussions involving Opposition parties, civil society members and student representatives.
The event was initially scheduled for October 28. However, an Opposition leader said the date had to be shifted as the organisers could not find an appropriate venue. Talkatora Stadium was also explored as a possible location, but it was not available, as reported by The New Indian Express.
Platform To Air Charges
The proposal for a mock impeachment of the CEC emerged at a gathering of INDIA bloc leaders, civil society representatives and student representatives. The meeting, hosted by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over high tea, focused on strategies to prolong the alliance’s agitation for the restoration of democracy.
The proposed mock impeachment is expected to provide the Opposition with a public forum to articulate its allegations against Kumar as it steps up its campaign seeking his removal. According to a leader, judges, legal experts and members of the public are likely to be invited for an elaborate discussion.
The proposal received unanimous approval at the INDIA bloc meeting, with leaders arguing that such an event would allow the concerns to be examined in detail and communicated more effectively to the public.
Build-Up To Rally
The October 30 programme has been timed ahead of the bloc’s November 1 joint rally, ensuring that its demand for Kumar’s removal receives public attention before the larger mobilisation.
An Opposition leader said the parties are also preparing to move an impeachment notice in Parliament for the third time.
In the first instance, notices were rejected by both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Notices filed during the second attempt remain pending before the Upper House.
The Opposition’s campaign has gathered momentum amid accusations of irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The INDIA bloc has alleged that the poll panel facilitated electoral manipulation and has demanded Kumar’s resignation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has claimed that the CEC was not the only person responsible for the alleged wrongdoing. Protests demanding Kumar’s exit have been held across different parts of the country over the past fortnight.
Under the Constitution and the law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners, a CEC can be removed by Parliament through the same process used to impeach a Supreme Court judge. The Opposition would need a two-thirds majority in Parliament for this.
Under the 2023 law on the appointment and service conditions of Election Commissioners, the CEC or an Election Commissioner may resign at any time by giving a written resignation to the President.