Kharge accuses CEC Gyanesh Kumar of 'treason', levels 6 charges during INDIA bloc's mock impeachment

Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of committing “treason against the nation and the Constitution of India”. He levelled six charges against CEC Kumar over alleged irregularities in the conduct of elections and the revision of electoral rolls.Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge addresses party leaders during the state-level celebration of the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar's first Chief Minister Shri Krishna Singh, at Bapu Sabhagar, in Patna. (HT photo)During the mock parliament held by INDIA bloc leaders in Delhi to publicly impeach Gyanesh Kumar, Kharge accused the CEC of being part of an alleged conspiracy “orchestrated by the BJP” to manipulate national and state elections by allowing unauthorised access to voter lists and facilitating the addition and deletion of voters.Track Anti-SIR protest LIVE updatesAmong the key charges, Kharge held the CEC responsible for the alleged deletion of 13.2 crore voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming the exercise was “partisan, opaque and violated the constitutional right to vote”.He also accused Kumar of amending Form 6 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, without parliamentary oversight, allegedly making it difficult for first-time voters to enrol.Another charge concerned the alleged centralisation of control over electoral rolls through the ERONET/ECINET software to facilitate voter deletions and prevent legitimate additions.Also Read | ‘Stir at Ramlila ground permitted, no word on CP rally’: Delhi Police on INDIA bloc’s protestKharge further alleged that CEC Kumar had sidelined the other two Election Commissioners from decision-making, despite them raising at least 14 objections on record.He also accused the CEC of acting in favour of the ruling BJP, denying opposition leaders a fair hearing and compromising the Election Commission's constitutional independence.The Congress chief additionally alleged that members of Kumar's family had received benefits, including plum postings and opportunities for financial gains, in return for his alleged compliance with the ruling establishment.The ‘public impeachment’ of Gyanesh Kumar, which was originally scheduled for October 30, was postponed due to rain in the national capital. The mock proceedings were held ahead of the opposition's November 1 rally in Delhi, aimed at mounting pressure for Kumar's removal.Also Read | November 1 rally will reflect public anger over Election Commission, says Rahul GandhiPresided over by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, the proceedings took place at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. INDIA bloc leaders, MPs, civil society representatives and people who alleged that their names had been wrongly deleted from electoral rolls attended the event.Reacting to the INDIA bloc's public impeachment, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Congress and other opposition parties were making all-out efforts to "somehow vitiate the atmosphere" through a mock parliament and calls for marches over alleged vote theft.