Oppn to take joint call on impeachment motion against CEC, says Congress; Akhilesh voices support
New Delhi (PTI): The entire Opposition will take a collective call on moving an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Congress leader K C Venugopal said on Wednesday, a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called for such a move.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also extended support to Banerjee in her fight against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, however, refused to comment on the matter.
Talking to mediapersons in the Parliament House complex, Venugopal said they are “positively” looking at the suggestion.
Banerjee, who was in the national capital as part of her campaign against the SIR exercise in West Bengal, on Tuesday called for the impeachment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and sought to rally support from the other opposition parties on the issue.
Banerjee also appeared in the Supreme Court on Wednesday and argued her petition against the SIR exercise, alleging unfair targeting of West Bengal by the poll panel and bulldozing of its citizens.
Asked about Banerjee's call to move an impeachment motion against CEC Kumar, Venugopal, the Congress general secretary in charge of communications, said, “The Trinamool Congress has already contacted the Congress... I think the entire Opposition will take a call on the matter, which is one of the most relevant issues raised by the Trinamool. We are positively looking at it.”
Akhilesh Yadav, whose Samajwadi Party is the second largest party in the Lok Sabha with 37 MPs, came out in support of the Trinamool supremo, and said, “Mamata Banerjee has donned a black coat against the black deeds of the BJP.”
“People must come forward. Losing your vote is losing your right. Everything will be lost one by one... Your citizenship would be questioned. We are with honourable Mamata Banerjee,” he added.
Asked about Banerjee's remarks, Rahul Gandhi, however, said, “I am not commenting on that.”
In the meantime, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi stressed that transparency should be maintained by the Election Commission.
“The way the BJP is misusing the SIR and using the Election Commission to violate voters’ rights by deleting their names on a large scale is deeply concerning. Mamata Ji is fighting this battle because, in West Bengal, a large number of votes belonging to people who traditionally vote for her party have reportedly been removed,” she said.
“She has taken this matter to the Supreme Court, and I welcome the step. On the impeachment motion she is talking about, if the Election Commission, an institution expected to uphold institutional morality, sets that aside and follows someone’s agenda, it is completely wrong,” Chaturvedi said.
“I hope that the Supreme Court, which is a constitutional provision and part of the legal process available to political parties, takes cognisance of this matter so that the credibility of the Election Commission does not collapse. The transparency of the poll panel must be maintained, and voters’ rights must be protected. I believe she will achieve victory in this fight,” she added.
The Trinamool supremo’s remarks came a day after she, along with her delegation, walked out of a meeting with CEC Kumar and other election commissioners on the issue of SIR, alleging that the poll panel chief showed arrogance and humiliated them.
Flanked by people from her state allegedly affected by the SIR exercise, Banerjee claimed at a presser that the electors whose names were being deleted were Trinamool supporters.
The process for impeaching the CEC is similar to that for a Supreme Court judge. The removal can take place only on the grounds of proven misbehaviour or incapacity.
A motion for removal may be introduced in either House of Parliament and must be passed by a special majority – a majority of the total membership of the House and a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CBCI 37th GBM: Catholic body reaffirms commitment to India's constitutional values
Bengaluru: The 37th General Body Meeting (GBM) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) was inaugurated on February 4, 2026, at St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences in Bengaluru by Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal.
Organised under the theme “Faith and the Nation: The Church’s Witness to India’s Constitutional Vision,” the gathering reflects the CBCI motto “United in Witness.”
Grounded in the Gospel and inspired by the love of Christ, the CBCI continues its mission of strengthening faith, fostering unity among India’s diverse communities, and promoting justice, peace, and social harmony.
More than 200 bishops representing 174 dioceses from across the country have assembled for prayer, reflection, and deliberation on matters of national and ecclesial importance. The General Body Meeting began at 9.00 a.m. with a solemn Eucharistic Celebration, during which Rev. Dr. Mathew Koyickal, Deputy Secretary General of the CBCI, welcomed the participants.
The principal celebrant, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, in his homily, called upon the bishops to be the light and salt of the earth, enriched with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. He urged the shepherds of the Church to remain joyful, kind, faithful, and humble servants in the Lord’s mission, witnessing Christ’s human love through outreach to the poor and the marginalized.
The Eucharistic celebration was concelebrated by senior Church leaders, including Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath, President of the CBCI; Cardinal Filip Neri Ferrao, President of the CCBI; His Beatitude Mar Raphael Thattil, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church; Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church; Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop Emeritus of Bombay; Archbishop George Antonysamy, Vice-President I; Archbishop Joseph Mar Thomas, Vice-President II; and Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto, Secretary General of the CBCI.
The inaugural session commenced at 11.00 a.m. with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, invoking God’s blessings on the deliberations. The Archbishop of Bangalore, the host of the meeting, welcomed the gathering and noted that the chosen theme reflects the Church’s deep-rooted commitment to the values enshrined in the Constitution of India. Archbishop George Antonysamy read out the message of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.
In his inaugural address, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli conveyed the Apostolic Blessings of the Holy Father and observed that the ideals expressed in the Preamble of the Constitution of India resonate strongly with the Church’s social teachings. He noted that despite contemporary challenges, the Church continues to serve the nation through humane development and by contributing to the moral conscience of society, urging Church leaders to seek new ways to live and practise faith in harmony with constitutional values.
Delivering the Presidential Address, Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath stated that the Church stands at a critical moment where conscience is being tested and faith is increasingly examined in the public sphere. He described the theme as both a profound spiritual confession and a public responsibility, calling upon bishops to be missionaries of hope and empowerment.
Referring to emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence, he stressed the need to humanise technology and ensure that the human person remains at the centre, urging the Church to become “digital missionaries.” He also emphasised the importance of deepening the synodal journey, forming leaders for public life, and empowering the laity, youth, and women.
The Biennial Report of the CBCI, covering the period from February 2024 to January 2026, was presented by Archbishop Anil J.T. Couto. On the occasion, thirty-one newly appointed bishops were felicitated by the Apostolic Nuncio with a shawl and memento, followed by a solemn observance of silence in memory of bishops who had passed away.
Messages from Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, and Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, were read out. The session concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Archbishop Joseph Mar Thomas, Vice-President II of the CBCI, after which Rev. Fr. Jesudoss Rajamanickam, Director of St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, briefed the participants on guidelines for their stay on the campus.
