Jairam Ramesh slams BJP mock Parliament, links CEC appointment to 2023 bill
Synopsis
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has tied BJP's mock Parliament event directly to the 2023 passage of a CEC immunity bill — pushed through while 145 Opposition MPs were suspended — and the subsequent appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner. It is a pointed attempt to make the ECI's independence the central battleground ahead of upcoming elections.
Key Takeaways
Jairam Ramesh on 30 October accused the BJP of systematically undermining Parliament since 2014 .
Ramesh linked the appointment of CEC Gyanesh Kumar to a bill passed in December 2023 granting lifelong immunity to the CEC, cleared while 145 Opposition MPs were suspended.
Citizens for Democracy , associated with the BJP ecosystem, held a mock Parliament at the NDMC Convention Centre, New Delhi on 30 October under the theme 'Democracy vs Anarchy'.
The event was a counter to the INDIA bloc's parallel mock session and its ongoing 'vote chori' campaign against the Election Commission.
The BJP has rejected all allegations, maintaining the ECI functions independently and parliamentary rules are followed.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday, 30 October 2026, launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its alleged mockery of parliamentary democracy, directly linking a mock Parliament event held in New Delhi to the controversial appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The remarks come amid an intensifying political standoff over electoral roll revisions and the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
What Ramesh Said
In a post on X, Ramesh said it was 'not at all surprising' that the BJP ecosystem had organised a mock Parliament. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of repeatedly 'mocking parliamentary democracy' by bulldozing bills, denying debates on issues of public importance, denigrating parliamentary institutions, and converting both Houses into platforms for 'self-glorification'.
Ramesh specifically cited the December 2023 episode when a bill granting what he described as unprecedented lifelong immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner was passed by both Houses of Parliament while 145 Opposition MPs were under suspension. He alleged that shortly after the bill's passage, Gyanesh Kumar was positioned as CEC to implement what he called 'nefarious Modi-Shah designs' aimed at stripping 'crores of Indians' of their constitutional right to vote.
The Mock Parliament and Its Context
Citizens for Democracy, a group associated with the BJP ecosystem, organised the mock Parliament at the NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Corporation) Convention Centre on 30 October under the theme 'Democracy vs Anarchy'. The event featured young participants from across the country enacting the roles of senior political leaders from both the ruling and opposition sides.
The programme was held as a direct counter to the INDIA bloc's parallel mock parliamentary session, part of a broader campaign highlighting allegations of 'vote chori' (vote theft). The opposition has been demanding the resignation of the CEC and organising public events to challenge the ECI's functioning.
The BJP's Response
The BJP has consistently rejected all such allegations, asserting that parliamentary proceedings are conducted strictly according to established rules and that the Election Commission functions independently. The ruling party has characterised the opposition's campaign as a deliberate attempt to discredit constitutional institutions following a series of electoral setbacks.
Broader Political Background
The current confrontation is rooted in the opposition's objections to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which critics argue is being conducted in a manner that disenfranchises voters. Ramesh's remarks reflect the Congress and INDIA bloc's wider charge that parliamentary norms have been steadily eroded since 2014, with major legislation routinely passed without adequate debate.
Notably, the suspension of 145 MPs during the passage of the CEC immunity bill in December 2023 remains one of the most cited episodes in the opposition's narrative on institutional decline. Whether these duelling mock sessions shift public opinion on the ECI's credibility will likely depend on what independent assessments of the electoral roll revision conclude.
Point of View
The Congress is building a cause-and-effect narrative that is harder to dismiss than generic institutional-decline arguments. The BJP's counter-event framing of 'Democracy vs Anarchy' is equally deliberate, attempting to reposition the opposition as the disruptor. What is missing from both sides is an independent audit of the Special Intensive Revision that triggered this standoff. Until that exists, the public is left choosing between competing claims about an institution whose credibility underwrites every election.
NationPress
30 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Jairam Ramesh criticise the BJP's mock Parliament?
Ramesh criticised the event because he sees it as emblematic of the BJP's broader pattern of undermining parliamentary democracy since 2014. In his X post, he accused Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah of bulldozing bills, blocking debates, and using Parliament for self-promotion rather than lawmaking.
What is the connection Ramesh drew between the CEC immunity bill and Gyanesh Kumar?
Ramesh alleged that a December 2023 bill granting lifelong immunity to the Chief Election Commissioner was passed while 145 Opposition MPs were suspended, and that shortly after, Gyanesh Kumar was appointed CEC to carry out what he called 'nefarious Modi-Shah designs' against voters' constitutional rights. The BJP has rejected this characterisation entirely.
Who organised the mock Parliament on 30 October and what was its theme?
Citizens for Democracy, a group linked to the BJP ecosystem, organised the mock Parliament at the NDMC Convention Centre in New Delhi on 30 October under the theme 'Democracy vs Anarchy.' It was designed as a counter to the INDIA bloc's parallel mock session.
What is the INDIA bloc's 'vote chori' campaign about?
The INDIA bloc's 'vote chori' (vote theft) campaign centres on allegations that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is being conducted in a manner that disenfranchises voters. The opposition has demanded the CEC's resignation and organised public programmes, including the mock parliamentary session, to amplify these charges.
How has the BJP responded to the opposition's allegations?
The BJP has consistently denied all allegations, stating that parliamentary proceedings follow established rules and that the Election Commission operates independently. The party has described the opposition's campaign as an effort to delegitimise constitutional institutions after suffering electoral defeats.
