In a unified stance against the dismissal of the impeachment notice for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, opposition leaders expressed their concerns on Wednesday, asserting that the action compromises constitutional integrity and diminishes accountability within democratic frameworks.

During a press briefing in New Delhi, Congress Member of Parliament Abhishek Singhvi, flanked by various opposition representatives, articulated that the rejection of the notice at an initial stage effectively cripples the impeachment process outlined in the Constitution.

Accompanying Singhvi were leaders from the Trinamool Congress, including Derek O’Brien and Sagarika Ghose, along with Manoj Jha from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Sandeep Pathak from the Aam Aadmi Party, Yogesh from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and Rajeev Jha from the Nationalist Congress Party and Samajwadi Party.

Singhvi remarked, “When accountability is strategically postponed, it equates to an impeachment of democracy itself.”

He criticized the presiding officers of Parliament for making a “fundamental conceptual error” by conflating a multi-step constitutional procedure into a single decision at the preliminary admission stage.

The Constitution outlines a comprehensive process that includes initial admission, the establishment of a judicial committee, formulation of charges, report submission, parliamentary debate, and ultimately, a decision.

“By dismissing the motion at the very first stage, all subsequent phases—including examination by an independent committee and the collective deliberation of Parliament—are effectively nullified,” Singhvi stated.

He further argued that the presiding officer overstepped their authority by assessing the merits of the allegations rather than sticking to a prima facie evaluation.

“You cannot conduct a mini-trial at the outset, as it undermines the foundational structure of the Constitution,” he emphasized.

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