NEW DELHI: The Opposition INDIA bloc is planning to hold a mock Parliament session and mock impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at the Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi on October 30, ahead of its November 1 joint rally
The programme would take forward a proposal discussed by Opposition parties, civil society groups and student representatives earlier this month.
Although the earlier plan was to hold the event on October 28, an opposition leader said the date changed because no suitable venue was available. The leader said Talkatora Stadium was one of the options considered, but it was unavailable.
Speaking to the TNIE, CPI general secretary D Raja said that the mock Parliament and impeachment session will be held at the Ashoka Hotel lawns on October 30 in the afternoon.
The TNIE had reported on October 13 that the proposal for a mock impeachment of the CEC came up at a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders, civil society representatives and student representatives. Convened by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over high tea, the meeting discussed ways to sustain their agitation to restore democracy.
The proposed mock impeachment would give the Opposition a public platform to lay out its case against Kumar as it intensifies its demand for his removal. The plan is to invite judges, legal experts and members of the public for a detailed discussion, a leader said.
The idea was accepted unanimously in the INDIA bloc meeting because such a programme would allow the issues to be examined at length and help convey the Opposition’s concerns to the public, the leader added.
The proposed October 30 programme would precede the alliance’s November 1 joint rally, placing a public discussion on its demand for Kumar’s removal ahead of the mobilisation.
A leader said the opposition parties are also planning to submit an impeachment notice to be moved in Parliament for the third time.
In the first move, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha rejected the notices, while the notices submitted in the second attempt are still pending in the Upper House.
The Opposition’s campaign has intensified amid allegations of irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The INDIA bloc has accused the poll body of facilitating electoral manipulation and demanded Kumar’s resignation, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleging that the CEC was not the only person responsible for the alleged wrongdoing. Protests in different parts of India over the last fortnight have demanded Kumar's resignation.
Under the Constitution and law on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners, Parliament can remove a CEC only as it can impeach a sitting Supreme Court judge. The opposition needs a two-thirds majority in Parliament to remove the CEC, similar to an SC judge
The Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, also says the CEC or an Election Commissioner may resign at any time by submitting a written resignation to the President.
