New Delhi, October 31: The INDIA bloc on Saturday passed a symbolic motion seeking the impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar during a mock Parliament organised in the national capital.

The impeachment programme triggered a sharp political confrontation between the Opposition and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi warning that the Opposition would not let the CEC "escape", while BJP leaders dismissed the exercise as "melodrama" and defended the constitutional protection available to the country's top constitutional authorities.

The symbolic public impeachment programme, presided over by former Lok Sabha Speaker and Congress leader Meira Kumar, witnessed participation from leaders of several INDIA bloc parties, who accused the Election Commission of undermining democratic principles through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged deletion of genuine voters' names.

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The Opposition also announced that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge would move an impeachment motion against Gyanesh Kumar in the Rajya Sabha.

Addressing the gathering at the INDIA bloc's symbolic public impeachment program, Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Chief Election Commissioner, accusing them of using constitutional institutions to undermine democracy and electoral rights.

"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. So if Mr Gyanesh Kumar thinks, or the five or seven people below him think, that immunity will save them, I would kindly suggest to them, with love and affection, to take a look at what is going on in the country. Please understand the mood of the people outside. You will see tomorrow itself. You will see tomorrow that a political weapon is going to be placed on the streets of Delhi. A united opposition is going to 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," Rahul Gandhi said.

The Congress leader said the Opposition would not allow those allegedly involved in undermining the country's democratic institutions to escape accountability.

"We are not going to let you escape. I also want to address the people who have carried out this assault on the Union of India. Gyanesh Kumar is just one element; there are many others. We know who they are, and we understand deeply who they are. This is a warning to you: things are shifting. Please hear this warning and realise that this is a new political weapon sitting in the garden, and this weapon is going to hurt you very badly if you continue down your path. I am saying this with love and affection; we are not nasty or evil people, but we will protect the Constitution and the voice of our people... I fully support the motion that Mr Gyanesh Kumar should not only be impeached but should also be tried in a court of law for treason so that justice can be served," he said.

Rahul Gandhi further asserted that the CEC would not continue in his position, claiming that the Opposition had sufficient evidence against him.

"Mr Gyanesh Kumar is not going to 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. 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. 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 said.

Earlier, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar said the motion would be moved in the Rajya Sabha by Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, who would subsequently deliver a statement.

Emphasising the importance of protecting the voting rights of citizens, Meira Kumar said, "Ours is the largest democracy in the world. Nations across the globe, in Asia, Africa, and South America, look up to us and follow our model of democracy. Our democracy is driven by the power of elections, and at the heart of this electoral power lies the soul of the voter. The voter is the focal point of the entire electoral process. If even a single voter is denied the right to cast their vote, it strikes a blow to the very soul of our democracy. Preventing someone from voting inflicts harm upon our democracy."

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has levelled six allegations against the CEC in a resolution seeking his public impeachment, accusing him of conspiring to steal elections, deleting 13.2 crore voters from electoral rolls and acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The six charges listed by Kharge include conspiring to steal elections, deleting 13.2 crore voters from electoral rolls, rewriting Form 6 without parliamentary oversight or knowledge, seizing electoral rolls through ECINET, shutting out the other two Election Commissioners from key decisions, and acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Kharge also accused the Election Commission of implementing the SIR exercise to remove voters opposed to the BJP, alleging that the government was using the issue of infiltrators to conceal its failures.

"The ECI announced the SIR overnight. It was implemented across the entire country, effectively to delete the votes of those opposed to the BJP...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," Kharge said.

Following the symbolic public impeachment programme, other Opposition leaders also defended the mock Parliament, arguing that the programme was organised after their attempts to raise the issue in the two Houses were unsuccessful.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the proceedings as a dignified and positive discussion and expressed confidence about the Opposition's proposed rally at Ramlila Maidan on November 1.

"We are all looking forward to tomorrow's rally...It was a very dignified discussion today, very positive...This spirit will continue in tomorrow's rally...People are coming in large numbers to attend tomorrow's rally," Tharoor said.

Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav said the Opposition believed in democracy and the dignity of Parliament, but had been compelled to organise its own people's Parliament after being denied an opportunity to discuss its notices in two consecutive sessions.

"We all believe in democracy and in upholding the dignity of Parliament. Parliament is the 'temple of democracy,' and our actions are aimed at enhancing its sanctity. When the entire opposition submitted notices for two consecutive sessions, yet were denied any opportunity for discussion within Parliament, we were left with no choice but to hold our own 'people's parliament' today," he said.

Congress MP Praniti Shinde said the Opposition had organised the programme because it was denied a platform in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

"The fact that we are doing this—for the first time in the country—is because the ruling government has denied us a platform. In the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha—the highest forums for the opposition—we have been denied a voice. We are bringing together opposition MPs, civil society organisations, and those whose names have been arbitrarily deleted from the electoral rolls. This raises a fundamental question: does the BJP even believe in democracy or the Constitution? We initiated an 'impeachment' process, and we are certain that CEC Gyanesh Kumar will be removed very soon," Shinde said.

Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi also criticised the functioning of democratic institutions, saying, "We put forward today the way the democracy of the nation is being destroyed."

Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad had described the programme as a message from the people rather than a political exercise, arguing that elected representatives had a responsibility to raise public concerns.

"This is not a political message; it is a message from the people. In Parliament, a motion for impeachment was submitted, but it was not accepted... We reach Parliament only because the people elect us; therefore, if the voices of those very people go unheard in Parliament, it becomes our duty to stand among them and bring their concerns to the forefront, which is exactly what we are doing," Azad said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Sanjay Yadav also hit back at BJP MP Sambit Patra's criticism of the Opposition's programme, accusing the BJP and constitutional bodies associated with it of making a mockery of democracy.

"BJP and the constitutional bodies associated with them are making a mockery of India's democracy... Democracy was born in India—specifically in Bihar—and while you may claim that India is the 'mother of democracy,' in reality, you are making a mockery of that very Constitution and democracy," he said.

However, the BJP strongly countered the Opposition's allegations, with party MP Sambit Patra defending the constitutional protection available to the President and the Chief Election Commissioner.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital later in the day, Patra said the BJP had not introduced any new law granting immunity to the CEC and maintained that the protection was already enshrined in the Constitution. He said the government had only introduced a specific procedure, which was not explicitly defined earlier.

"The BJP did not create this immunity by enacting a new law. The BJP did not introduce any law that did not already exist. Immunity and protection for the President and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) are already enshrined in the Constitution. However, the specific procedure was not explicitly defined," Patra said.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi also criticised the Congress over its mock Parliament, accusing the Opposition of attempting to create chaos in the country.

Addressing a press conference, Trivedi said the Congress had organised the mock Parliament after allegedly failing in its attempts to create unrest. Citing the World Bank's 2025 report, he claimed that India had achieved a significant reduction in poverty between 2011 and 2023 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

BJP MP Tarun Chugh also targeted the INDIA bloc over its Sunday rally, describing the Opposition's programme as "melodrama" and questioning its decision to organise a mock Parliament when, according to him, its leaders did not participate effectively in actual parliamentary proceedings.

"They invited many people, but yesterday nobody showed up. It turned out to be merely a tea party at a dining table. What is the need for a mock parliament? When you refuse to speak in the actual Parliament? You simply waste the valuable time of Parliament. The decisions of this country are made inside Parliament. This is nothing but melodrama, scripted like a movie screenplay—nothing more than that," Chugh said.

He also invoked the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, accusing the Congress of continuing to carry the mentality responsible for the violence.

"November 1st, November 2nd, November 3rd, November 4th... Punjabis can never forget; Sikhs can never forget. The massacre of Sikhs, turning 52 cities into cremation grounds, burning Sikhs alive. That mentality of anarchism still persists inside the Congress party today. That anarchy is so deeply rooted in their minds," he added.

The political confrontation comes ahead of the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan, where Opposition leaders have said they will take their campaign against the Election Commission and the alleged deletion of voters' names from electoral rolls directly to the public. The rally is expected to bring together leaders and supporters of various Opposition parties as they intensify their campaign over electoral reforms and voting rights. (ANI)