New Delhi, April 6 TMC MP Derek O'Brien accused the BJP of mocking Parliament on Monday after the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha rejected separate notices from opposition members 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 that no reason was given for the rejection of the notices.
The opposition had 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! I told you so. Notice to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar by Rajya Sabha MPs rejected."
"Reason? No reason given. The BJP keeps mocking our great Parliament. It's shameful," the Rajya Sabha MP said.
Earlier in the day, O'Brien raised concerns over the notices being "ignored".
"The motion to remove the CEC was submitted in the Rajya Sabha on March 12. A separate notice was submitted on the same issue in the Lok Sabha. The Parliament continued until April 2. Both notices were completely ignored in Parliament," he said.
He also accused the BJP of using a "devious tactic" to save the CEC.
O'Brien said that 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 their 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.
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 that 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".