New Delhi: Former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar will chair the INDIA bloc’s “public impeachment” of the CEC October 30, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge initiating the proceedings and former party chief Rahul Gandhi making the concluding remarks before the ‘motion’ is adopted, sources said Thursday.
INDIA bloc leaders met at Kharge’s residence here to give the final shape to the “public impeachment” proceedings that they intend to carry out against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at Kharge’s residence as a symbolic protest over the “vote chori” issue.
Congress general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal, senior Congress leader Meira Kumar, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, Samajwadi Party’s Harendra Malik, JMM’s Mahua Maji and CPI(M)’s John Brittas, among others, participated in the meeting.
Sources said Meira Kumar will chair the INDIA bloc’s “public impeachment” of Gyanesh Kumar. While Kharge will move the ‘motion’ to impeach Gyanesh Kumar, Gandhi will make the concluding remarks before the ‘motion’ is passed.
Invites have also been sent to INDIA bloc MPs, inviting them to “The Public Impeachment of Gyanesh Kumar” at 10, Rajaji Marg, from 3:30 pm onwards.
Speaking with the media in Bengaluru, Kharge said the opposition’s protest is continuing because of the “vote theft and the mischief” carried out by the CEC.
“We are protesting against that and will continue to do so. All parties are supporting us. Even tomorrow, there is mock Parliament and November 1, we are having this rally and people from across the country are coming. We will fight. In a democracy, if you don’t fight, people will not be awakened,” the Congress president said.
After attending the meeting, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the details of how to proceed with the “public impeachment” of the CEC were deliberated on.
“Most of the INDIA bloc leaders were present and we went through all the points on how to proceed with the public impeachment,” he said.
Congress’ deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said, “We want every important issue related to SIR and vote theft to be discussed. The pain of the people and the attack on democracy should be brought to light through discussion, and people should be encouraged that we are all united in saving democracy. A message of unity will go out tomorrow.”
SP’s Harendra Malik said only one person from each party will speak at the “public impeachment” of the CEC.
“It has been decided that either the party leader himself will speak tomorrow or nominate someone to speak on his behalf,” he added.
On Wednesday, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said that having been denied other locations, the “INDIA janbandhan” will be holding the public impeachment of Kumar at Kharge’s 10, Rajaji Marg residence at 3.30 pm October 30.
“The CEC has demonstrably violated the letter and spirit of the Constitution. He has systematically subverted the very foundations of our electoral democracy. He has, to put it bluntly, lied to the Supreme Court,” Ramesh said on X.
“He has been the willing executioner on behalf of the Diabolical Duo whose turn will come next,” he said, in an apparent attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Congress Tuesday claimed it was denied permission to hold the “public impeachment” of the CEC and accused the government of trying to silence the voice of common people after “destroying” the electoral system.
The Congress and other opposition parties have been demanding the resignation of Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
