00:00I want to turn to an India Today exclusive because we have filed or more specifically
00:04my colleague Ashok Upadhyay filed a series of applications under the Right to Information Act
00:10with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats on the impeachment notices that had been moved
00:15earlier this year against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Both secretariats
00:20though refused to divulge why the notices were rejected despite the notices having the required
00:26number of signatures by MPs. The opposition now is planning to move another impeachment
00:31motion against the CEC. Here is an exclusive report from Ashok Upadhyay.
00:59The opposition is preparing to move yet another impeachment notice against Chief Election
01:05Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. It would be the third such attempt against Gyanesh Kumar since March.
01:13The first notice was filed in the Rajya Sabha on March 12, signed by 63 MPs above the required
01:21threshold of 50. It accused the CEC of bias in the conduct of the SIR exercise, particularly in West
01:28Bengal. On April 6, the Rajya Sabha announced that Chairman CP Radha Krishnan had rejected the notice
01:35under Section 3 of the Judges' Inquiry Act 1968. A second notice was filed in the Rajya Sabha on April
01:4324, signed by 73 MPs. The notice listed nine charges, including allegations of partisan enforcement of
01:51modal code of conduct, mass disenfranchisement during the West Bengal SIR. The second notice is still pending.
01:59Similarly, in Lok Sabha, a notice was filed on March 12, with 130 signatures, above the requirement of 100.
02:07On April 6, Speaker Om Birla rejected it, under Section 3 of the Judges' Inquiry Act 1968.
02:15India today filed right-to-information applications with both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha secretariats.
02:22The application sought copy of the orders rejecting the notice for removal of the CEC.
02:27The criteria used to assess whether the notice met the threshold under Articles 324 Subsection 5 and
02:36124 Subsection 4 for impeachment of CEC. The reasons recorded for rejecting the notice,
02:43and names and designations of legal or constitutional experts consulted in the matter.
02:50The Rajya Sabha secretariat marked the application disposed of on April 27. Its reply stated that the
02:58legislative section had determined the information sought was exempt from disclosure under Section 8
03:04Subsection 1C of the RTI Act. A week later, on May 4, the Lok Sabha secretariat's RTI branch responded.
03:12It addressed all four questions in a single line. The information sought under points 1 to 4 was exempt from
03:20disclosure under the Section 8 Subsection 1C of the RTI Act. Section 8 Subsection 1C of the RTI Act
03:29allows exemption from disclosure of information as it would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament or
03:35the state legislature. The opposition has accused the Narendra Modi government of weakening the RTI Act.
03:44After coming to Modi ji, if something is the most important thing, then it is the RTI.
03:50The RTI came to an alliance government in an alliance government and it gave a country to this country.
03:57It does not like this country. It is not a place for them. It is a place for them.
04:00The BJP defended the decision to deny information.
04:15The renewed push to impeach CEC Gyanesh Kumar comes on the back of an Indian Express report.
04:22The two election commissioners, Sukbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi,
04:26had raised 14 objections in 10 months on a range of issues, including aspects of the Special Intensive Revision of
04:34Voter List.
