'No personal enmity with CEC, want ECI to work impartially,' says Kharge

The Congress president was speaking at a 'mock impeachment' of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar conducted in New Delhi by Opposition parties

Congress Party President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of functioning at the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was being used to delete votes of people opposed to the BJP.

 

Addressing the INDIA bloc's symbolic 'public impeachment' of the CEC in New Delhi, Kharge said the opposition was not fighting to protect ‘infiltrators’ but to safeguard the voting rights of genuine voters.

 

The programme was held at Kharge's official residence at 10, Rajaji Marg, with former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar presiding over the proceedings. The Opposition's action was a symbolic protest against the CEC and its demand for his removal over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

 

 

"We have no personal enmity with the CEC. We want the Election Commission to work impartially, in line with the spirit of the Constitution, so that the common man's trust in it remains intact," Kharge said.

 

He also warned that the threat to democracy would increase if people like Kumar continued to hold constitutional positions.

Kharge alleges ECI is being used to delete opposition voters

Referring to the SIR exercise, Kharge alleged that the ECI had announced the revision process overnight and implemented it across the country to remove voters opposed to the BJP.

 

Accusing the Modi government of using the issue of illegal immigrants to justify the exercise, Kharge said the Opposition was seeking to protect legitimate voters.

 

"The Modi government is using the pretext of outsiders and infiltrators to conceal its own failures. They allege that we are attempting to include infiltrators. That is not the case; we are simply advocating for the retention of genuine, legitimate voters. We are doing this to safeguard their rights," he said.

 

Kharge also referred to Article 326 of the Constitution, which provides for universal adult suffrage, and said the provision was under serious threat.

 

Comparing India's voting with those in other democracies, he said India extended the right to vote to everyone when its Constitution came into effect.

 

"The United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, or France, for instance. In many of these countries, women were not granted the right to vote immediately upon the establishment of democracy. India, however, is a nation that granted this right to everyone the moment its Constitution came into effect. It extended this right to women, Dalits, the marginalised, the poor, regardless of their background," he said.

 

Kharge also alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had opposed universal adult franchise at the time.

Kharge accuses Centre of giving CEC ‘legal’ protection

Kharge accused the government of using central agencies and political defections to retain power since 2014, alleging that electoral manipulation was the latest addition to this pattern.

 

"Since 2014, every possible conspiracy has been hatched to seize and retain power. They have stolen MPs, broken up political parties, toppled governments, and used electoral bonds, the ED, and the CBI, and now they are stealing votes. We have hundreds of examples of such vote theft," he said.

 

He also criticised the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, as he alleged that it had enabled the CEC to facilitate electoral manipulation.

 

Kharge said the legislation was passed in December 2023 after the suspension of 145 Opposition MPs.

 

"It is shameful and a disgrace. This law grants the Election Commissioners a lifelong protective shield, a level of protection not even afforded to the President or the Chief Justice of India," he said.

 

The symbolic public impeachment was initially scheduled for October 30 but was postponed by a day because of heavy rain in Delhi.

 

The symbolic proceedings will be followed by the INDIA bloc's 'Chalo Dilli' rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1. The opposition parties have been demanding Kumar's resignation over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise and have called for its cancellation. 

Sambit Patra accuses Congress, INDIA bloc of mocking Parliament

Later in the day, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of mocking Parliament, and alleged that former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru became the country's first PM by "stealing votes" from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

 

"Nehru became PM by vote chori. He stole Vallabhbhai Patel's votes," Patra said, taking a swipe at the Opposition over its mock parliament.

 

He also criticised the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties for holding the exercise, saying they were making a mockery of Parliament.