TMC MP Derek O'Brien on Monday accused the BJP of mocking Parliament after the Rajya Sabha chairman and the Lok Sabha speaker rejected separate opposition notices to move a motion for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from his post. In a post on X, O'Brien also said no reason was given for the rejection of the notices.
The opposition had in March submitted the notices to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman C P Radhakrishnan against the chief election commissioner (CEC), listing seven charges, including alleged "partisan and discriminatory conduct in office". They were rejected on Monday.
Reacting to the development in a post on X, O'Brien said, "Ah! Told you so. Notice to remove CEC Vanish Kumar by Rajya Sabha MPs rejected."
"Reason? No reason given. BJP keep mocking our great Parliament. Shame," the Rajya Sabha MP said. Earlier in the day, O'Brien raised concern over the notices being "ignored".
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"The motion to remove the cec was submitted in Rajya Sabha on 12 March. A separate notice was submitted on the same issue in Lok Sabha. Parliament ran till 2 April. Both notices totally ignored in Parliament," he said. He also accused the BJP of using a "devious ploy" to save the CEC.
O'Brien said if the notice for the CEC's removal is not taken up, "doubts will be raised about a tacit understanding between the executive and the CEC".
In its notices, the opposition accused Kumar of failing to "maintain independence and constitutional fidelity" and acting under the "thumb of the executive".
The notices also questioned the process of Kumar's appointment as CEC, accused him of holding a "partisan" press conference on August 17, 2025, targeting Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and "discriminatory treatment" of opposition and ruling party members.
ALSO READ: 'CEC Acting Under Executive's Thumb': Oppn Moves Notice To Remove Gyanesh Kumar
They also accused the CEC of executing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise "in alignment with the ruling party's political objectives".
In separate orders on Monday, Birla and Radhakrishnan refused to admit the notices moved under Article 324(5) of the Constitution, read with other relevant constitutional and statutory provisions, praying for the removal of Kumar as the CEC.
The notifications said the notices have been rejected "after due consideration of the notice of Motion and a careful and objective assessment of all relevant aspects and issues involved".
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by The Daily Jagran. Credit: PTI)