New Delhi: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar during the INDIA bloc’s mock public impeachment programme in New Delhi on Saturday. Gandhi claimed that the Opposition had gathered enough evidence against the CEC and warned that he would not remain in office if the allegations were made public.
He also accused the BJP of using the Election Commission to undermine people’s voting rights and said the ruling party would face political consequences if it continued to support Kumar despite the allegations.
Addressing MPs from both Houses of Parliament and members of the public, Gandhi described the gathering as a “political weapon” aimed not only at the CEC but also at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and others whom he accused of being involved in electoral manipulation.
Rahul Gandhi Says Gyanesh Kumar Will Not Survive as CEC
“Mr Gyanesh Kumar will not survive as the Chief Election Commissioner. We already have enough proof to make sure that this gentleman cannot survive. And if the BJP insists on keeping him after we reveal what we know, then it will be very clear what the BJP’s game is,” Gandhi said.
He said the programme was more than a gathering of Opposition lawmakers and citizens, describing it as a challenge to those allegedly responsible for compromising the electoral process.
“This looks like a meeting of Lok Sabha MPs, Rajya Sabha MPs, and common citizens. But actually, this is a political weapon. This is an extremely dangerous political weapon that is sitting in the garden of the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, and this weapon is targeted directly at every single person, starting from Mr Gyanesh Kumar, going to Mr Modi, going to Mr Shah, and every single person who has colluded to destroy the vote of the Indian people,” he said.
Gandhi also warned that constitutional office-holders could not remain protected by the institutions they lead.
“Remember, you will not always hide behind that institution. Remember that one day, today or tomorrow, you are going to face the representatives of the people of India,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi Questions 2024 Lok Sabha Election Mandate
Gandhi also questioned the legitimacy of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, citing what he described as the deletion of 13.3 crore voters from electoral rolls.
He claimed that the number of voters affected by the deletions was significant compared with the vote margin between the winning and Opposition candidates in the general election. According to him, the margin was around 3 per cent, while the deleted voters accounted for 15 per cent of the electorate.
“I just want to make one small point. 13.3 crore voters were deleted. That is one in every seven Indians. 15% of India’s voters were deleted. In the last Lok Sabha election, these voters supposedly voted. The difference between the opposition and those who won the election was a 3% vote margin. So, the election was won by a 3% vote, and now the Election Commission itself is saying that 15% of those voters should never have voted,” he said.
Gandhi went on to claim that this meant the Election Commission itself was declaring the 2024 election illegal and that BJP MPs had entered the Lok Sabha illegally.
However, this was Gandhi’s interpretation of the voter-deletion issue. His remarks do not amount to an official declaration by the Election Commission that the 2024 Lok Sabha election was illegal.
Gandhi Targets PM Modi, Amit Shah and Election Commission Officials
Gandhi further accused officials in the Election Commission of acting as instruments of the BJP leadership. He said the Opposition would first hold these officials accountable before taking on the political leadership.
“Mr Modi and Mr Shah might be on top. We will deal with them, but you are their instruments, and so you are our first target,” he said.
He also warned Election Commission officials against assuming that their positions would protect them from accountability.
Gandhi accused the BJP of misusing central agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to target political opponents.
“We will show you exactly what the mood of the people of this country is. You can continue to rig the elections. You can continue to control and allow the misuse of the CBI, the ED, and every single institution of this country. But we guarantee you that this is a temporary phenomenon,” he said.
He also referred to the Opposition’s planned public mobilisation in Delhi and said the programme would demonstrate people’s anger over alleged electoral manipulation.
INDIA Bloc Holds Symbolic Impeachment Programme Against CEC
The INDIA bloc organised the mock public impeachment programme to raise allegations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and question the functioning of the Election Commission.
Opposition parties have repeatedly raised concerns over electoral roll revisions, alleged voter deletions and the poll body’s handling of elections.
The programme was symbolic and did not constitute a formal constitutional removal proceeding against the CEC. The removal of a Chief Election Commissioner follows a constitutional process similar to that applicable to a Supreme Court judge.
Gandhi’s remarks came amid the Opposition’s wider campaign against the Election Commission over alleged irregularities in the electoral process.