New Delhi: The I.N.D.I.A. bloc appears to be
putting its move for a fresh impeachment notice against Chief Election
Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on the back burner for the time being, as it wants
to focus on ground-level agitations against "vote chori" allegedly
perpetrated by the Narendra Modi government with the help of the Election
Commission.
The issue did not figure prominently at the
bloc's meeting on Wednesday, with sources saying the overwhelming view was that
they should concentrate on agitations that could help build a case against
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the CEC, as well as
the fight against electoral malpractices in the Supreme Court. With numbers not
on its side in Parliament, the Opposition does not want to take a risk that
would take the focus away from protests. Sources said this does not mean the
chapter is closed, only that the focus at this point is elsewhere.
Senior lawyer and independent MP Kapil Sibal,
who attended the meeting chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge,
referred to the rejection of the first impeachment notice submitted in both
Houses and the pendency of the second notice in the Upper House. He was of the
view that a fresh notice would not add anything to their campaign, sources
said.
Sibal argued that they should focus on the fight in the Supreme Court against the SIR and other malpractices, as well as mounting a legal challenge against the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which provides lifelong immunity to the CEC and ECs. He told the meeting that demanding Kumar's arrest is one thing, but it would not be possible under the current legal regime as the CEC enjoys immunity. He suggested that the bloc file a joint petition challenging the 2023 law, and that FIRs be filed against officials who do not enjoy legal immunity as a first step, including against the EC official heading its IT Division, Seema Khanna. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanded that Khanna be arrested, which was echoed by some others.
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