NEW DELHI, Oct 31: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday called for the immediate removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and repeal of the 2023 law granting immunity to the CEC, alleging that the poll panel chief was acting under the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Kharge moved a symbolic motion seeking Kumar’s removal during a “public impeachment” event organised by the INDIA bloc in the national capital.
He said the continued presence of individuals like Kumar in constitutional positions would further intensify concerns over the country’s democracy and constitutional framework.
Accusing the Modi government of attempting to retain power through various means since 2014, Kharge alleged that these included poaching MPs, engineering defections, toppling elected governments, electoral bonds and the alleged misuse of central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
He also accused the ruling establishment of manipulating electoral processes by removing opposition supporters from voter lists.
Kharge claimed that there were hundreds of instances of alleged “vote chori” and called for accountability over the functioning of the Election Commission.