INDIA bloc holds mock 'impeachment' of CEC Gyanesh Kumar: Kharge lists six charges and demands treason trial
Opposition leaders held a symbolic trial of India's election chief over claims 13 crore voters were deleted. It has no legal force; a Delhi rally follows.
At a glance
- The mock Lok Sabha sat at Mallikarjun Kharge's New Delhi residence on Saturday, with former Speaker Meira Kumar presiding.
- Kharge moved six charges against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, including the deletion of about 13 crore voters, and said he should be tried for treason.
- The event is symbolic: the opposition's formal removal notices were rejected by the presiding officers of both Houses.
- The BJP accused Congress of mocking Parliament. The opposition plans a Delhi rally on November 1.
India's opposition put the country's top election official on a mock trial in New Delhi on Saturday. At a replica Lok Sabha built at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's home, the INDIA bloc moved six charges against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and demanded that he be removed and tried for treason. The proceedings carry no legal weight, but they mark the opposition's biggest escalation yet over the mass deletion of names from voter rolls.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided, inviting Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, to move the motion. Opposition leaders from several parties attended, along with student organisations and civil society groups.
The six charges Kharge read out
| # | Charge | What the opposition alleges |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conspired to steal elections | The Commission worked to benefit the ruling party |
| 2 | Deleted about 13 crore voters | The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) removed names on a mass scale |
| 3 | Rewrote Form 6 without Parliament | The form for new voter registration was changed with no parliamentary approval |
| 4 | Seized the rolls through ECINET | Electoral rolls were centralised on the Commission's digital platform |
| 5 | Shut out the other two commissioners | The CEC sidelined his colleagues |
| 6 | Acted on instructions | He allegedly took orders from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah |
Accounts of the event gave the deletion figure as both 13.2 crore and 13.3 crore. These are the opposition's numbers and accusations; none has been tested in a court or in Parliament.
Kharge said the opposition had "no personal enmity" with the CEC and only wanted an independent Commission. He said the right to vote under Article 326 was under serious threat, and claimed the SIR was "announced overnight" to remove the votes of people opposed to the BJP. He also alleged a quid pro quo involving jobs for the CEC's family members and financial favours, without offering specifics.
Why it had to happen in a living room
The opposition went to Kharge's house because the formal route was closed. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the bloc had no choice after the presiding officers of both Houses rejected its removal notices.
Article 324 of the Constitution protects the CEC in the same way as a Supreme Court judge. Removal needs a special majority in both Houses of Parliament, which the opposition does not have. Saturday's motion therefore changes nothing about Gyanesh Kumar's position or powers.
The aim is political: to keep the voter-roll dispute in front of the public. A rally planned in Delhi on November 1 is intended to carry the same message on to the streets.
The BJP's reply
The BJP accused Congress of mocking Parliament. No formal reply from the Election Commission to Saturday's charges had been reported at the time of publication. Kharge said the government uses talk of outsiders and infiltrators to hide its own failures, and denied that the opposition wants infiltrators on the rolls. "We are simply advocating for the retention of genuine, legitimate voters," he said.
The argument is playing out in the states as well. West Bengal's BJP chief, Samik Bhattacharya, on Saturday sought a fresh SIR in that state, calling the earlier exercise incomplete. So the two sides are now pushing in opposite directions on the same process.
If your name may have been dropped
Voters do not need to wait for the politics to settle. Anyone worried about their registration can search the roll on the Election Commission's portal, voters.eci.gov.in, using an EPIC number or personal details, or ask the local booth level officer. People who are not listed can apply through Form 6, the same form at the centre of the third charge.
Sunday's rally is next
The Delhi rally on November 1 is the next test of how much street support the campaign has. Any formal change to the CEC's position would still have to pass through Parliament, where the numbers have not moved.
Questions people are asking
Can the opposition remove India's Chief Election Commissioner?
Not alone. Under Article 324, the CEC can be removed only in the same way as a Supreme Court judge, which requires a special majority in both Houses of Parliament.
How can I check whether my name is on India's voter list?
Search by your EPIC number or personal details on the Election Commission's voter portal, voters.eci.gov.in, or ask your booth level officer. New voters apply using Form 6.
