Opposition parties in India staged a symbolic impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday to protest recent revisions to the voter lists, which they allege could disproportionately benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The event took place at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi.

The opposition’s mock impeachment was intended to highlight concerns over the impartiality of the Election Commission amid a nationwide overhaul of electoral rolls. The commission and the BJP maintain that the revisions are necessary to ensure accurate and up-to-date voter lists. Both entities have rejected accusations that the process is being manipulated to advantage Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party.

In the staged proceedings, Congress leaders emphasized the importance of preserving the Election Commission’s independence. Kharge stated that the demonstration aimed to protect the dignity of the constitutional institution and urged the commission to function impartially, in accordance with constitutional principles. However, under India’s constitution, the removal of the chief election commissioner requires a parliamentary process with a special majority, making the opposition’s act purely symbolic.

Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress leader, acknowledged that the opposition had limited avenues to challenge the revisions. “We have no other option. Every single institution… is closed for us,” he said, expressing frustration with what he characterized as the closing off of democratic channels.

The protest coincided with preparations for a large opposition rally in Delhi scheduled for Monday, supported in part by the Cockroach Janta Party, an online youth movement backing the campaign against the voter list updates.

In response, Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the BJP was open to discussing the voter roll revision in a special parliamentary session. Shah criticized the opposition for what he described as an unwillingness to engage in parliamentary debate, accusing them of resorting instead to disruptive tactics.

The voter list revision has been a contentious issue in India’s political landscape over the past month, triggering widespread protests and political confrontations in one of the world’s largest democracies. The latest developments underscore the growing polarization surrounding electoral processes and the perceived impartiality of institutions tasked with overseeing them.