New Delhi: The Union government’s recent amendment restricting public access to electronic election materials, such as CCTV footage and webcasting at polling booths, strong rooms, and counting tables, has drawn sharp criticism from Opposition parties. Based on the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) recommendation, the law ministry on Friday altered Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, limiting the types of “papers” or documents open for public inspection.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge termed the move another “frontal attack on the Constitution and democracy,” accusing the Modi government of a “systematic conspiracy” to undermine the ECI. He pointed to earlier steps, including the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the panel appointing election commissioners, and pledged legal action.
“Modi government's audacious amendment in the Conduct of Election Rules is another assault in its systematic conspiracy to destroy the institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India. Earlier, they had removed the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel which appoints Election Commissioners, and now they have resorted to stonewall electoral
information, even after a High Court order," Kharge said in a post on X.
“Everytime the Congress wrote to the ECI, regarding specific poll irregularities such as voter deletions and lack of transparency in EVMs, the ECI has responded in a condescending tone and chosen not to even acknowledge certain serious complaints. This again proves that the ECI, even though it is a quasi-judicial body, is not behaving independently. The Modi government's calibrated erosion of ECI's integrity is a frontal attack on the Constitution and Democracy and we will take every step to safeguard them," Kharge said.
Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and K.C. Venugopal also criticised the ECI, alleging it has shown bias by refusing to address concerns over voter deletions and transparency in electronic voting machines.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi claimed the amendment was designed to nullify a recent Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling that ordered the ECI to share critical election documents and footage. “Election Commission to avoid accountability ki chronology samajhiye: Section 93(2) of the Conduct of Election Rules said “all other papers relating to the election shall be open to public inspection with court permission - Advocate Mahmood Pracha had moved the Punjab and Haryana HC asking for EC to provide copies of required documents including CCTV footage and copies of Form 17C part 1 and 2 related to Haryana election - Punjab and Haryana HC directs EC to make all the documents and footage public. EC urgently amends the electoral rules to make it clear that papers would not include any documents or electronic records which have not been specified in the rules, making the HC decision redundant & also making a mockery of the entire electoral process,” said Ms Chaturvedi.
Former Trinamul Congress MP Jawahar Sircar questioned what the Modi government is trying to conceal, while AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said the changes hint that “something is very wrong.”
NCP spokesperson Anish Gawande called the move the “latest assault” on transparency.