INDIA bloc to hold ‘public impeachment’ of CEC on Oct 30

New Delhi: Leaders of the opposition INDIA Bloc will hold a “public impeachment” of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 30 and announce a public verdict against him.

The “mock Parliament” would be held at Hotel Ashok, where all opposition MPs and top leaders would be present, it is learnt.

Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said the next day, on November 1, the bloc will carry out a ‘Dilli Chalo march’ to Ramlila Maidan, which it touted as its “biggest”, against “vote chori”.

“In our effort to save the Constitution and defeat the Vote Chors, INDIA bloc will be holding a crucial Public Impeachment proceeding on 30th October – where the public’s verdict to remove the ‘Vote Chor’ CEC Gyanesh Kumar will be delivered loud and clear,” Venugopal said on X.

“After this Public Impeachment, we will hold a ‘Dilli Chalo March’ against ‘Vote Chori’ culminating at Ramleela Maidan on November 1st, where at least a million concerned citizens will participate,” he said.

Venugopal said Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has reached out to all INDIA Bloc parties for their presence in Delhi on the two days

Kharge has already spoken to a few leaders, he said.

Earlier in the day, the Congress leadership held internal meetings with heads of its frontal organisations and Delhi unit leaders and discussed plans to make the November 1 INDIA Bloc rally and march at Ramlila grounds a grand success.

The meetings came a day after the party leadership held meetings with leaders of its Uttar Pradesh and Haryana units.

The party is activating its rank and file to join the rally in large numbers.

The INDIA Bloc rally is part of a series of opposition protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the CEC’s “poll irregularities.”

The party said its November 1 rally will send a strong message that the opposition group is united in protecting democracy and “driving vote chors out of power.”

“We continued our meetings to take stock of preparations for the INDIA Bloc Mega Rally against Vote Chori on November 1st, as we met with Chairpersons and In-charges of various frontals and departments at Indira Bhavan today,” Venugopal said on X.

“Along with AICC Treasurer Sh. Ajay Maken ji, met with the AICC In-Charge, PCC President and senior leaders from Delhi to discuss preparations for our November 1st Mega Rally against Vote Chori,” he said in another post.

Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba later said that the rally will be the opposition’s biggest as the party has set a target of 10 lakh people.

She said there was no question of postponing or cancelling the rally, as has been suggested by some in view of the festival season.

Venugopal said people from across the country will attend the gathering to send the message: “We are united in protecting our democracy and driving these vote chors out of power.”

The INDIA bloc rally is aimed at increasing pressure on the government over the deletion of lakhs of votes and for Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the alleged irregularities in the SIR.

On October 12, the protests over the “vote theft” charge reached the Supreme Court’s doorstep.

In a major show of strength, opposition stalwarts, joined by activists and civil society members, took part in a ‘March for Democracy’ facing a heavily barricaded route here and filed a joint petition against the SIR.