Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 31: The INDIA bloc will hold a public mock impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi on Saturday, with nearly 21 Opposition parties expected to participate in the programme.
The event is scheduled for 3.30 pm at the residence of Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The programme, originally planned for Friday, was postponed by a day after heavy rain affected several parts of the national capital. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi confirmed the change and said the event would now take place on Saturday.
Nearly 21 political parties are expected to participate, including major INDIA bloc constituents such as the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress, along with several Left parties. Social groups, student organisations and people affected by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise are also expected to attend.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will preside over the proceedings. The programme will follow a mock parliamentary format, with Kharge moving the motion and leaders from different parties speaking within their allotted time. Nearly 30 speakers are expected to address the gathering, while Rahul Gandhi will deliver the concluding remarks.
Several Opposition leaders met at Kharge's residence on Thursday to finalise the arrangements. Those present included Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal, besides Meira Kumar, CPI(M)'s John Brittas, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien, Samajwadi Party leader Harendra Malik and JMM's Mahua Maji.
The venue was changed several times before the final decision. The event was initially planned at the Ashoka Hotel and subsequently shifted to Ramlila Maidan. However, permission-related hurdles led the organisers to settle on Kharge's residence.
The mock impeachment is part of a broader campaign by the Congress and other Opposition parties seeking Gyanesh Kumar's resignation over the SIR exercise and alleged electoral irregularities. The programme is also intended to serve as a curtain-raiser for the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan, where the Opposition plans to raise its allegations of 'vote chori'.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday challenged Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav to debate the Opposition's 'vote chori' allegations in Parliament. Shah said the BJP was ready to convene a special session to discuss the issue.
Addressing the BJP's state working committee meeting in Lucknow, Shah compared the Opposition leaders' allegations to a cricket team blaming the umpire after losing a match.
“Rahul and Akhilesh Yadav, instead of practising harder after losing a match, start blaming the umpire. I challenge them — the BJP is ready to discuss these allegations in Parliament. Come forward, and let us convene a special session,” Shah said.
The Home Minister also questioned whether Rahul Gandhi would accept the challenge, accusing him of preferring to create “drama on the streets” rather than raising the issue in Parliament.