Won't let you escape: Rahul warns CEC; BJP calls mock Parliament a hallucination

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the 'mock Parliament', where Kharge moved a resolution seeking Kumar's removal, which was adopted at the end of the session.

In Short

• Opposition holds 'mock Parliament', passes resolution against Gyanesh Kumar
• Gandhi alleges deletion of 13.1 crore voters in Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls
• BJP calls Congress' impeachment move 'hallucination' to appease Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday called for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's impeachment and trial for treason over alleged election rigging, while the BJP dismissed the Opposition's symbolic proceedings as a “hallucination” created for him.

Speaking at the INDIA bloc's “public impeachment” programme at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in New Delhi, Gandhi said the Opposition would not let Kumar escape accountability.

“We are not going to let you escape. I am saying this with love and affection; we are not nasty or evil people, but we will protect the Constitution and the voice of our people,” Gandhi said.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Congress of creating a “mock Parliament” to make its “maverick prince” feel he was in a Parliament of his choice.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the 'mock Parliament', where Kharge moved a resolution seeking Kumar's removal, which was adopted at the end of the session.

RAHUL GANDHI QUESTIONS VOTER DELETIONS

Gandhi claimed that 13.1 crore voters, or roughly 15 per cent of the electorate, had been removed from electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). He questioned how the Election Commission could now call them illegitimate when they had been eligible to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

“Either say these voters were legitimate and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were legitimate. Or say these are illegitimate voters, and then the 2024 Lok Sabha becomes illegitimate,” he said.

He also cited what he described as a three-percentage-point gap in the 2024 election to underline the potential impact of the deletions.

Gandhi said around 250 MPs had gathered because institutional avenues were closed to the Opposition. He described the proceedings as a “political weapon” aimed at Kumar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others he accused of damaging democracy.

“You have taken this game into rigging elections. Mr Modi and Mr Shah might be at the top. We will deal with them. But you are their tool,” he said, referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He said the campaign would move to the streets of Delhi on Sunday and warned that alleged election rigging and the misuse of investigating agencies would not continue indefinitely.

“You can continue to rig elections. You can continue to allow the abuse of CBI and ED. We guarantee you, this is temporary,” he said.

Concluding his speech, Gandhi said: “Gyanesh Kumar should be impeached. Gyanesh Kumar should be tried. Gyanesh Kumar should be tried for treason.”

KHARGE'S SIX CHARGES IN RESOLUTION

The resolution listed six charges against Kumar: facilitating alleged election manipulation, deleting 13.2 crore voters, changing Form 6 without parliamentary approval, taking control of electoral rolls through ECINET, excluding the other two Election Commissioners from decisions, and acting at the behest of Modi and Shah.

Kharge alleged that Kumar was running the Election Commission under the direct instructions of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.

He said 193 Opposition MPs had submitted notices seeking the CEC's removal in both Houses seven months earlier, but the notices were rejected. “Therefore, the motion we have brought forward today is aimed at safeguarding the dignity of a constitutional institution,” he said.

Kharge said the Opposition had no personal grudge against Kumar and wanted the Commission to function impartially.

“We must ensure that the voting rights of vulnerable sections, women, and the youth are not surreptitiously deleted from a computer by someone sitting in Delhi,” he said.

Leaders of Opposition parties, civil society representatives and people affected by the SIR exercise attended the programme.

BJP CALLS EXERCISE A ‘HALLUCINATION’

Trivedi accused Congress of staging the proceedings out of frustration, alleging that its attempts to create anarchy had failed.

“Congress party, just in order to give solace to the sentiment of their maverick prince, Rahul Gandhi, is now creating a hallucination that he is there in the Parliament of his own choice by creating a mock parliament,” he said.

He cited World Bank poverty estimates to argue that India was progressing under Modi. According to Trivedi, extreme poverty had fallen to 2.6 per cent, while the share of people living on less than $4.20 a day had declined from 57.7 per cent in 2011 to 16 per cent.

He said the BJP-led NDA was working to remove poverty, while Congress remained focused on removing Modi despite repeated electoral setbacks.

OPPOSITION PREPARES FOR SUNDAY RALLY

The gathering came ahead of the INDIA bloc's rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, part of its campaign against alleged “vote chori”.

Opposition parties have accused the Election Commission of facilitating large-scale deletion of voters through SIR and have approached President Droupadi Murmu and the Supreme Court over the issue.

The rally is scheduled from 10 am to 5 pm, with a “Chalo Dilli” march beginning at noon from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction and culminating at the venue. INDIA bloc leaders are expected to travel in open buses from Kharge's residence to the march's starting point.

The bloc has appealed to students, youth, women, workers and civil society groups to participate. The Cockroach Janta Party and student organisations have also extended support to the rally.

Opposition leaders expect up to 10 lakh people, while Delhi Police estimates a turnout of around 50,000.

- Ends