The opposition parties’ INDIA alliance has passed a resolution demanding that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar be removed from office, that a sedition case be filed against him, and that a court inquiry be conducted.
The resolution was passed at a symbolic “removal from office” event held on Saturday against Gyanesh Kumar at Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in Delhi.
The opposition parties have been demanding that Gyanesh Kumar resign, accusing him of engaging in “vote theft” in favor of the BJP through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list.
On behalf of the INDIA alliance, a massive rally and public meeting will be held in Delhi on Sunday (Nov. 1). As a preview to this, a ‘model parliament’ meeting was held at Kharge’s residence in Delhi.
In this event aimed at publicly “discrediting” Gnanesh Kumar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Parliamentary Congress Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, party general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi and Jairam Ramesh, K.C. Venugopal, Samajwadi Party’s Dharmendra Yadav, Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien, along with INDIA alliance MPs, representatives of social organizations, and some voters who alleged that their names had been wrongly removed from the electoral rolls, participated.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the meeting. Arrangements such as semicircular seating, microphones, and other facilities were made, similar to the Lok Sabha chamber.
Charge of treason: At this event, a resolution was introduced and unanimously passed, calling for the ‘removal’ of Gyanesh Kumar and the cancellation of the 2023 law on the appointment of election commissioners as well as the SIR exercises.
In that resolution, “Gyanesh Kumar has overseen and participated in the BJP’s deceitful and evil criminal conspiracy to engage in large-scale irregularities in national and state-level elections. By allowing the BJP to access the voter list, remove and add names at will, and alter election results, he has deliberately undermined the rule of law.”
He has deliberately attacked the fundamental electoral process of democracy, and has intentionally and unfairly removed 13.2 crore voters, denying them the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. It has been emphasized that this is not only a criminal act, but also an act of treason against the nation and the Constitution. For this, a case should be registered against him and a court trial should be conducted.
Other allegations: It has also been alleged in the resolution against Gyanesh Kumar that he made illegal changes to Form 6 for new voters and unlawfully exercised central control over the voter list, and that this was an attempt to undermine a fair and free election process.
It has also been alleged that, in return for Gyanesh Kumar’s cooperation with the BJP, several of his family members were given privileges, including high-ranking positions and paid opportunities.
Kharge’s criticism: Earlier, while moving and speaking on the resolution, Kharge said, “Under the orders of Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is running the Election Commission. As a result, the voting rights of citizens have come under threat. The motions brought by the opposition parties in Parliament to remove Gyanesh Kumar from office were rejected.”
This present motion is to protect the dignity of the Election Commission. We have no personal enmity with the Chief Election Commissioner. Our wish is only that the Election Commission should function impartially. No one can be allowed, sitting in Delhi, to deprive the people of this country of their voting rights through a computer.
The President of India, more than the Prime Minister...: To remain in power, the BJP does everything—“stealing MPs,” “stealing parties,” and “stealing votes.” It is only because the Chief Election Commissioner is protected by law from any action under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, that he is able to engage in irregularities. This law was passed after suspending 145 opposition MPs. It is shameful. This law grants the Chief Election Commissioner immunity from punishment that even the President and the Prime Minister do not have.
The INDIA alliance has not demanded voting rights for “infiltrators.” It wants the voting rights of all citizens to be protected. INDIA alliance MPs, representing 60 percent of the country’s population, have decided that Gyanesh Kumar should be subjected to a court trial for the crime of treason. The INDIA alliance will never allow any attempt to put an end to democracy in the country,” he said.
Rahul is a “symbolic Prime Minister” for life - BJP mocks
“The INDIA alliance has turned Parliament and democracy into a farce. They can keep Rahul Gandhi as a ‘symbolic Prime Minister’ for life,” the BJP said in a mocking criticism.
In this regard, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, ‘No matter how much the Congress tries to project Rahul, it will not succeed. Go ahead and hold mock parliaments or rallies. The world has already understood that Rahul does not have enough capability. The opposition can keep him as an “identity prime minister” for his entire life.
The Congress’s allegation of “vote theft” is an outright lie. The one who became Prime Minister through “vote theft” was Nehru. He was the one who stole Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s vote and became Prime Minister. No one’s vote is being stolen in the country now. There is no confusion in people’s minds,’ he said.