The INDIA bloc on Saturday adopted a resolution seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of participating in a "devious and malevolent criminal conspiracy orchestrated by the BJP to steal national and state elections" and demanding that he be tried for "treason" in a court of law.
The resolution, read out by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at the Opposition's symbolic "public impeachment" programme in New Delhi, listed six charges against Kumar, including alleged manipulation of electoral rolls, changes to voter registration rules without parliamentary oversight and acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Opposition has been targeting the CEC over alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The BJP, meanwhile, has accused the Opposition of resorting to anarchy and attacking constitutional institutions after failing to win the confidence of voters.
In its first charge, the INDIA bloc alleged that Kumar had overseen and participated in a "devious and malevolent criminal conspiracy orchestrated by the BJP to steal national and state elections".
It further alleged that Kumar had "willingly broken the rule of law by allowing them to access voter rolls, to delete and add voters at will and manipulate the outcome of the elections".
"He is guilty of operationalising a premeditated attack on the electoral process that is the very foundation of India's democracy. This is a criminal act and an act of treason against the nation and the Constitution of India," the resolution said.
The Opposition also accused Kumar of being directly responsible for what it described as a manipulated, truncated and destructive SIR of electoral rolls. It alleged that the exercise had resulted in the intentional deletion of 13.2 crore voters, depriving them of their constitutional right to vote.
"He has ensured the intentional deletion of 13.2 crore voters, depriving them of the fundamental right to vote guaranteed to them by the Constitution of India, in a manner that is partisan, opaque and flagrantly violative of natural justice.
"This is a criminal act and an act of treason against the nation and the Constitution of India," the resolution read.
The third charge concerned alleged changes to Form 6 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. The INDIA bloc accused the CEC of amending the form without parliamentary oversight or knowledge, claiming that the changes were intended to prevent the enrolment of first-time voters.
It described the alleged move as a "criminal conspiracy to prevent the enrollment of first-time voters and stealing from them the fundamental right to vote guaranteed by the Constitution, effectively negating their rights as citizens of India".
"This is an act of treason against the nation and the Constitution of India," the resolution said.
The Opposition's fourth charge accused Kumar of centralising control over electoral rolls through the ERONET/ECINET software. It alleged that the system was being used to delete voters and prevent local Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) from adding legitimate names to the rolls.
"This is a criminal attempt to tamper with the process of free and fair elections upon which the democratic framework of India is founded. It is an act of treason against the nation and the Constitution of India," it said.
The fifth charge concerned the alleged exclusion of the other two Election Commissioners from decision-making. The INDIA bloc claimed that Kumar had violated the law along with seven associates in the Election Commission while deliberately keeping the two commissioners out of the process.
It said the two commissioners had placed no fewer than 14 objections on record, describing the alleged exclusion as a violation of the constitutional mandate of the Election Commission.
"This is a clear infringement of the mandate of the Election Commission as laid down by the Constitution of India and an act of treason against the nation and the Constitution of India," the resolution said.
The sixth charge accused Kumar of breaching his constitutional responsibility to function independently and ensure free and fair elections. The Opposition alleged that he had denied it a fair hearing and acted at the behest of Modi and Shah.
The resolution also alleged that, in return for his "shameful compliance with the ruling BJP", several members of Kumar's family had received benefits, including "plum postings and unprecedented opportunities for remuneration".
It accused the CEC of having "brazenly" acted against his constitutional mandate at the behest of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, thereby betraying the trust of the people.
"He has willfully undermined the rule of law and participated in a criminal conspiracy to manipulate and falsify the results of democratically held elections that are the bedrock of India's democracy. These are acts of treason against the nation and the Constitution of India," the resolution said.
The INDIA bloc also questioned the legal protection granted to the CEC under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, alleging that the provision was intended to shield Kumar from accountability.
It claimed that the "lifelong legal protection provided to Chief Election Commissioner Kumar by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in December 2023 was intended as a cover for the criminal activities enacted by him against the nation and the Constitution of India" and demanded his immediate removal.
The resolution concluded by calling for Kumar to face trial in accordance with the Constitution.
"The Members of Parliament of the INDIA Janbandhan representing over 60% of the population of India and citizens assembled in New Delhi on October 31, 2026, resolve that for this gross betrayal of the people of India the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. Gyanesh Kumar, must be tried for treason in a court of law in accordance with the legal framework of the Constitution of India," it said.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presided over the programme, while Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad and Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy served as vice-chairs.
Besides Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and K C Venugopal attended the event. Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav and Trinamool Congress parliamentary party leader Derek O'Brien were among the other Opposition leaders present.
The programme was part of the INDIA bloc's campaign against alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise and its demand for accountability from the Election Commission.
(With inputs from PTI)
