New Delhi: The central government’s recent amendment banning public access to electronic election materials, such as CCTV footage and webcasting in polling stations, strong rooms, and counting tables, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. Based on the recommendations of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Law Ministry on Friday amended Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, limiting the types of “papers” or documents open to public inspection.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge called the move “another attack on the Constitution and democracy”, accusing the Modi government of a “systematic conspiracy” to undermine the ECI. He pointed to previous steps, including the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the panel that appoints the Election Commissioner, and promised legal action.
“The Modi government’s audacious amendment to the Election Code of Conduct is yet another attack in a planned conspiracy to destroy the institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India. Earlier they removed the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee to appoint Election Commissioners and now they have resorted to electoral stonewalling.
Information, even after the High Court order,” Kharge said in a post on X.
“Each time the Congress has written to the ECI, regarding specific election irregularities like voter deletion and lack of transparency in EVMs, the ECI has responded in a meek tone and has chosen not to entertain even some serious complaints. This again proves that the ECI is a quasi-judicial body. is not acting independently. The Modi government’s calibrated erosion of ECI’s integrity is a frontal assault on the Constitution and democracy and we will take every step to protect them,” Kharge said.
Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal also criticized the ECI, alleging that it showed bias by refusing to address concerns about voter erasure and transparency in electronic voting machines.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi claimed that the amendment was designed to overturn the recent Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment that ordered the ECI to share important election documents and footage. “Election Commission to avoid explaining the chronology of accountability: Section 93(2) of the Election Conduct Rules says “All other documents relating to the election shall be open to public inspection with the permission of the court – Advocate Mahmood Pracha submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Asking EC to provide copies of necessary documents including CCTV footage and copies of Form 17C Part 1 2 Relating to Haryana Elections – Punjab and Haryana High Court directs Commission to release all documents and footage. The Commission immediately amends the election rules to ensure that the documents do not include any documents or electronic records not specified in the rules, making the High Court’s decision redundant and making a mockery of the entire election process,” said Ms. Chaturvedi.
Former Trinamool Congress MP Jawahar Sircar questioned what the Modi government was trying to hide, while AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal hinted that the changes indicated “something is very wrong”.
NCP spokesperson Anish Gawande termed the move as the latest attack on transparency.