Cong Mock Impeachment, Street Protests Attempt to Intimidate Judiciary: BJP

The Congress party is making all-out arrangements for the October 30 “public impeachment” programme, aimed at escalating protests against alleged “vote chori” and electoral irregularities, a day ahead of the November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan.

The Congress has sent invitations to all INDIA bloc constituents. Members of civil society and former judges are also expected to participate in the mock impeachment programme. The November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan is expected to draw a massive crowd, with the Congress claiming that around one million people will participate.

Meanwhile, the BJP has accused the Congress of indulging in activities that amount to insulting Parliament and the judiciary. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said on Wednesday that the Congress, despite advocating a return to ballot papers, had drawn a blank in the MLC elections. The fault, he argued, lay neither with EVMs nor with ballot papers, but with the Congress party’s mindset.

Congress leaders Akhilesh Prasad Singh and Manoj Kumar have also raised concerns over the party’s performance in the MLC elections, questioning candidate selection and demanding accountability for the defeats. Singh admitted that mistakes had been made in selecting the candidate without blaming the ballot-paper system.

The BJP has also questioned whether the Congress would accept the Supreme Court’s verdict in the ongoing case concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Congress spokespersons have been reluctant to give a categorical answer. Instead, they ask, “Is there any other option?”

The Aam Aadmi Party has indicated that it would accept the court’s verdict, whatever it may be, but has simultaneously insisted that Gyanesh Kumar must resign. This raises a pertinent question: can acceptance of a judicial verdict be made conditional on the resignation of the very official whose conduct is under scrutiny?

Meanwhile, remarks by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), questioning the impartiality and role of the judiciary have gone viral on social media.

Dipke reportedly questioned the Supreme Court’s response to alleged electoral irregularities and asked what action it had taken against the Election Commission. He also argued that public trust in the judiciary and other institutions had eroded, calling for greater accountability, independence and neutrality.

Against this backdrop, JD(U) national spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad described the Congress initiative as a reflection of the party’s “frustration and panic”. He termed the programme an insult to Parliament and the highest judiciary in the country.

“How can a political party put conditions before the apex court and then decide whether to accept its verdict? It has to either accept the verdict or say that it does not accept it,” he said.

Prasad pointed out that the Opposition had submitted a notice seeking the CEC’s removal to the Lok Sabha Speaker, while its petition concerning the functioning of the CEC and the Election Commission was also pending before the Supreme Court.

He alleged that the street protests were an attempt to exert psychological pressure on the judiciary. The Congress and its allies, he added, were crossing the line between dissent and anarchy.

The central question, therefore, is whether the Congress and its allies will accept the Supreme Court’s eventual verdict or continue their agitation regardless of the outcome. If the judicial process is still underway, why stage a symbolic public impeachment and pronounce a political verdict in advance?

Political parties have every right to protest, question institutions and seek accountability. But such protests cannot substitute for constitutional procedures, nor can a political gathering determine the guilt or otherwise of a constitutional authority.

The distinction between legitimate dissent and an attempt to exert pressure on a constitutional institution is crucial. The Opposition must clarify whether its campaign is intended to seek justice through established institutions or to sustain political mobilisation irrespective of what those institutions decide.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gowri V

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A Journey of Three Decades Time passes faster than we realise. What feels like a journey that began only yesterday has today grown into more than three decades of a meaningful and fulfilling life devoted to education, journalism, and the empowerment of young minds. My professional journey began with journalism training in New Delhi in 1979. I went on to work as an independent journalist, drawing on my fluency in both English and Telugu. Over the years, I have edited and worked on Telugu articles in both languages, an experience that strengthened my command of language and sharpened my understanding of society, people, and contemporary issues. Yet, my principal profession and enduring passion have always been teaching. My decision to become a teacher was not merely a career choice—it was a calling. Teaching offered me the rare privilege of inspiring young minds, guiding them through their formative years, and making a lasting difference in their lives. I found immense satisfaction in simplifying complex concepts, nurturing curiosity, encouraging independent thought, and building confidence among students. Every moment in the classroom—every question, every moment of discovery, and every spark of understanding—reminded me why I had chosen this path: to empower young people through knowledge, values, and essential life skills. My teaching career began at the grassroots level as a Montessori teacher and gradually progressed to the position of Vice Principal. I had the opportunity to work in reputed educational institutions, including Dilsukhnagar Public School in Hyderabad, where I shouldered both teaching and administrative responsibilities. Although I have always considered myself, at heart, a teacher, my administrative experience enabled me to understand and contribute to the education system from a much broader perspective. For my students, I have always tried to be an approachable and dependable presence—someone they could turn to not only for academic support, but also for guidance and emotional encouragement. At the same time, I developed a reputation as a firm disciplinarian who believed that integrity, fairness, responsibility, and discipline were fundamental to education. I was also consistently appreciated for maintaining clear communication with parents and staff and for ensuring that examinations and other academic processes were conducted with transparency, fairness, and efficiency. As my career progressed, however, I began to feel that academic education alone was not enough. This realization led me to work more closely with students following the SSC and CBSE curricula, while consciously bringing life-skills education into my teaching. I came to understand that education becomes truly meaningful when it prepares children not merely to pass examinations, but to face life. Teaching emotional resilience, self-reliance, social awareness, communication, decision-making, and other practical life skills often had a deeper and more lasting impact than academic achievement alone. I saw how these skills could help students navigate challenges with greater confidence, maturity, and responsibility. My academic background provided a strong foundation for this approach. My degree in Psychology from the University of Madras helped me develop a deeper understanding of young people's minds, their emotional needs, and the influence of their family and social environments. My M.A. in Telugu with First Class from Osmania University.

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