Kharge Accuses CEC Gyanesh Kumar of ‘Treason’ as INDIA Bloc Holds 'Public Impeachment' in Delhi
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The INDIA bloc on Saturday held a symbolic public impeachment proceeding against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, with nearly 21 Opposition parties participating in the exercise and accusing him of electoral irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.
The mock parliamentary exercise was held at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and presided over by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. Kharge moved the motion, while Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to deliver the concluding remarks.
Addressing the gathering, Kharge accused the Chief Election Commissioner of betraying the trust of the people and alleged that he had deliberately deleted the names of nearly 13 crore voters during the SIR exercise. He also accused Kumar of committing treason, a charge made as part of the Opposition's political attack on the poll chief.
Kharge Targets RSS Over Universal Voting Rights
Kharge also invoked the adoption of universal adult franchise in India, saying the country granted voting rights to all adult citizens from the time its Constitution came into effect.
He said women, Dalits, poor people and marginalised communities were given the right to vote irrespective of their social or economic backgrounds. Contrasting India's approach with that of countries including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and France, Kharge alleged that the RSS had opposed the granting of voting rights at the time.
Six Charges Levelled Against Chief Election Commissioner
The INDIA bloc has listed six charges against Kumar during the symbolic proceedings. The allegations include conspiring to manipulate elections, deleting 13.2 crore names from electoral rolls, changing Form 6 without parliamentary approval and taking control of voter lists through the ECINET platform.
The Opposition has also alleged that Kumar sidelined the other two Election Commissioners.
These are allegations made by the INDIA bloc and were not established through the symbolic proceedings.
Voter Deletion Complaints Feature in Opposition Protest
INDIA bloc leaders, MPs, civil society representatives and some people who claimed their names had been wrongly removed from electoral rolls attended the programme.
The event is part of the Opposition's campaign demanding Kumar's resignation over the SIR exercise and alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
The symbolic proceeding is also intended to build pressure ahead of a rally planned by the Opposition in the national capital on Sunday, where the parties are expected to intensify their demand for the CEC's removal.
