NEW DELHI: Congress on Tuesday said that the INDIA bloc’s “public impeachment” of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar would be held at party president Mallikarjun Kharge‘s residence.This comes after Congress accused the government of denying permission for the event at the state-run Ashoka Hotel.Earlier in the day, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said the hotel had initially allowed the event to be held on its premises but later denied permission following police intervention.“How many permissions will you deny, Mr Amit Shah? How many people will you stop? 21 parties of the INDIA bloc had planned a Public Impeachment of Gyanesh Kumar as a curtain raiser to the Nov 1st Mega Rally and March – first at Hotel Ashoka, where permission was denied, and then at Ramleela Maidan, where despite already having all the requisite permissions, Delhi Police stopped us from doing the set up for the event,” Venugopal said.The proposed event is part of a series of protests by Congress and other opposition parties demanding Kumar’s resignation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and alleged electoral irregularities.According to the announcement, Congress was set to organise a mock Parliament at Delhi’s Ashoka Hotel on October 30. The proposal to impeach Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was expected to be at the centre of the debate.Leaders and representatives of INDIA bloc parties were likely to participate in the discussion on the proposal and the functioning of the Election Commission.“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 had announced on Saturday.
“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. Hon’ble INC President Sh. Mallikarjun @kharge ji has reached out to all INDIA Bloc parties, requesting that their leaders and members present in Delhi during this period in full force,” he added.