BJP Mocks Rahul Gandhi Over Congress' 'Public Impeachment' Of CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp attack on the Congress over its mock impeachment proceedings against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, with BJP MP Sambit Patra directing particular criticism at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday evening, Patra took a dig at Gandhi and suggested that the Congress should make him a mock prime minister in its mock Parliament. He accused the opposition of trying to bring down the government through protests after repeatedly failing to defeat the BJP in elections.

The Congress has accused Kumar of playing a central role in alleged electoral irregularities that it claims favour the ruling BJP. The party has been seeking his removal, particularly following a newspaper report alleging that several decisions concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were taken without the knowledge and explicit approval of the other two Election Commissioners.

On Saturday, the opposition organised a mock parliamentary session and initiated what it described as the "public impeachment" of Kumar. During the proceedings, the Congress reiterated its allegation that the BJP-led NDA government was "illegitimate" and that recent elections were "stolen".

Responding to the exercise, Patra took another swipe at Gandhi.

"And my humble request to you is, brother, please do not dismantle the Parliament. In the mock parliament that has been made, on the treasury side, seat Rahul Gandhi in a kurta-pyjama -leave the T-shirt - and do his bhajan-kirtan there every day, calling him 'Prime Minister, Prime Minister'," added the BJP leader.

BJP accuses Congress of seeking regime change

Patra alleged that the Congress' protests were not genuinely concerned with the SIR exercise or the future of students, but were instead aimed at removing the incumbent government and installing one of its own.

"Whether it is Rahul Gandhi or his associates, their intention is regime change. Their fight is not against the SIR or for students' future. Their sole objective is to orchestrate a regime change, seize power, and install their own government at any cost, without contesting an election because people repeatedly defeated them," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

BJP targets AISA chief Neha Bora

Patra also criticised Neha Bora, who heads the left-leaning student organisation All India Students' Association (AISA). Bora was among the prominent faces of the Cockroach Janta Party's agitation last month demanding Kumar's resignation. She later joined the Congress' protest march, where she was seen alongside senior opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav.

The BJP leader questioned Bora over her alleged expression of gratitude towards Bangladesh, where a violent student-led movement led to the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina government in 2024.

"From the very beginning, we have been saying that attempts are being made to create situations like those in Nepal and Bangladesh in India," he said.

Patra warns the opposition against remarks on police and armed forces

Patra further accused opposition leaders of repeatedly making critical remarks about the police and armed forces, including in connection with the surgical strikes.

"Do you want a Pakistan in India? If you think that Indian police and the army will revolt against the government like in Pakistan, then you are living in La La land. We want to make it clear that India is not a banana republic. How dare you make such statements?" he said.

Commenting on the student-led agitation, Patra claimed that the movement, which began at Jantar Mantar, would eventually lose momentum at the same location.

"India does not exist only within a 2-km radius of Jantar Mantar. It is a vast country," he said