Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called for the impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging election rigging. During a symbolic “public impeachment” event held by the INDIA bloc in Delhi on Saturday, Gandhi asserted that the Opposition would not allow Kumar to evade accountability. He emphasised the seriousness of the allegations, framing them as a matter of protecting democracy.

Gandhi stated, “We are not going to let you escape. 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.” He characterised the proceedings as a necessary political response to what he termed the erosion of democratic principles in India.

He specifically targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, claiming they were at the forefront of undermining electoral integrity. “You have taken this game into rigging elections. Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah might be at the top. We will deal with them. But you are their tool,” he remarked, indicating his determination to hold those in power accountable.

Concerns Over Voter Deletions

Gandhi raised concerns regarding the removal of approximately 13.1 crore voters from electoral rolls, which he claimed represented around 15 per cent of the electorate. He questioned how the Election Commission could consider these individuals illegitimate when they were eligible to vote in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

“Either say these voters were legitimate and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were legitimate, or say these are illegitimate voters, and then the 2024 Lok Sabha becomes illegitimate,” he argued. He highlighted the potential ramifications of these deletions on the electoral process, pointing to a reported three-percentage-point gap that could significantly influence the election outcome.

Gandhi expressed the Opposition’s intent to escalate their campaign, stating that they would take their message to the streets of Delhi on Sunday. Gandhi warned that the alleged rigging of elections and the misuse of investigative agencies would not persist indefinitely.

He cautioned Kumar against relying on legal immunity, asserting that the youth of India would not forgive those who harm democracy. “Gyanesh Kumar should be impeached, Gyanesh Kumar should be tried. Gyanesh Kumar should be tried for treason,” he declared, reinforcing his call for accountability.

BJP Responds to Opposition’s Actions

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) responded to Gandhi’s statements by ridiculing the Opposition’s symbolic proceedings. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accused Congress of staging the event out of frustration, suggesting that it was an attempt to provide comfort to Gandhi, whom he referred to as a “maverick prince.” Trivedi stated that the Congress party was creating a “mock parliament” to fulfil its own narrative.

Trivedi further cited World Bank poverty estimates to argue that India is progressing under Modi’s leadership, claiming that extreme poverty has decreased to 2.6 per cent. He pointed out that the proportion of individuals living on less than $4.20 a day has fallen from 57.7 per cent in 2011 to 16 per cent, indicating economic improvement.

He asserted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) aims to alleviate poverty, while Congress focuses on undermining Modi despite facing repeated electoral defeats. “Congress, out of utter frustration under the leadership of their leader, Rahul Gandhi, who is consistently inconsistent in his every approach and word, is trying to remove Prime Minister Modi, and still they are being rejected by the people of the country,” Trivedi concluded.

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