ECI’s Affidavit Fails to Address Key Questions
The affidavit filed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in response to the petition filed by social activist Rakesh Kumar Singh raises more questions than it answers. It denies there was any change in Form 6. It also says the written documents submitted by the two Election Commissioners were only suggestions that were given before making unanimous decisions. The ECINet team was obligated to do its work in compliance with rules. The ECI’s affidavit is misleading, untruthful, escaping and it was silent on many questions.
Investigative Revelations vs. ECI’s Claim of ‘Unanimity’
Ritika Chopra of the Indian Express who first threw light on the ECI irregularities with her investigative story has again questioned ECI’s silence in her reaction to the affidavit. She reminded the readers that the two Election Commissioners were not giving any suggestions but objecting to the decisions taken and implemented by the ECI without their knowledge. The affidavit says all the decisions were unanimous. Ritika says “the two ECs- Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi- wrote objecting to the decisions already taken in the Commission’s name, without their knowledge, systems already built, orders already issued and cases already filed and what they recorded was that the two had not been told. The issue the investigation by The Indian Express raised was not whether the Commission eventually approved the decision it was whether two of its members were being consulted and informed about the actions carried out in the Commission’s name.”
The Myth of Unanimous Decisions
That the two Election Commissioners were appointees of Modi-Shah dispensation and they would not submit themselves for public scrutiny is a fact known to The Indian Express and the general public. There is no wonder that they kept mum when the affidavit filed by the ECI declared that all the decisions were unanimous and what they wrote fourteen times in ten months were only suggestions. They are spineless wonders. They are with the government. But whatever they wrote in the ten months has exposed the ECI and the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Whatever the NDA government and the ECI together say that everything is fine with the ECI does not hold water.
Silencing Institutional Objections Under Chief Commissioner’s Watch
The investigation by The Indian Express highlighted the erosion of internal checks and balances in the three-member constitutional body that underwrites democracy’s fundamental compact. It pointed to its shrinking, on the watch of Gyanesh Kumar, into a one-man show. Even where the ECI makes corrections, they are not honest. It rolls back controversial changes made to Form 6 for first-time voters online, and sets up a committee that includes experts to review ECINet’s compliance with the law. It tries to make corrections without acknowledging the mistakes committed or holding anyone responsible for the lapses.
Ground Reality: Voters Caught in Digital Hurdles
The SIR process continues to confuse. In West Bengal the judges of the tribunals, appointed to decide the appeals by the voters who were affected by the SIR, have been doing a slow job. Of the one lakh voters they examined when it was reported last, 91,000 were found eligible.At this rate one can imagine that lakhs of voters were not allowed to use their right to vote in the assembly elections for no convincing reason. Now the judges wrote to the ECI saying that the Aadhaar authentication in the portal has been coming in the way.
Opposition Pushback and Court’s Assurance
The affidavit is an attempt by Modi government to justify the behavior of the ECI and safeguard Gyanesh Kumar. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition, made it clear that their agitation will continue until Gyanesh Kumar resigns or he is asked to resign by the prime minister. The mass gathering planned in Delhi on November 1st is sought to be prevented by the government by making the traders and trade union leaders appeal to Rahul Gandhi to postpone the meeting till after the Diwali. Home Minister Amit Shah said the meeting before Diwali would mean a loss of ten crore of business. However, permission was granted for the show of strength at Ramlila Maidan with many conditions.
The Supreme Court has said on Tuesday that it would “examine everything” after a group of petitioners sought to safeguard records concerning the SIR exercise. The petitioners, including Rahul Gandhi, sought a direction from the top court to the ECI to either preserve or file before the court the “complete records and decisions” concerning the voter roll revision. Menaka Guruswamy, the counsel for petitioners, said, “They (ECI) issued a press note that the Supreme Court judgment in the Bihar SIR authorized the tampering of Form 6. Please see the audacity of this institution which is justifying the tampering of Form 6.” (Whereas the affidavit filed by the ECI in the same court on the other day claims that it did not touch Form 6.) The demand was made by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi who represented Rahul Gandhi before the Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Suryakant. “We will examine everything,” CJI responded to Singhvi listing the case for mid-November.
Rhetoric and Political Counter-Marches
The BJP has been trying to take advantage of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s ‘baap’ remark against Modi. Actually it is usual to say ‘tum aur tera baap’ in Hyderabad. Kharge is an old Hyderabad. He did not mean to insult Modi by answering a question by a BJP’s plant at a press conference in Patna where he said in a fit of anger, ‘Modi jaayegaa aur unke baap bhi jaayega.’ Only the other day Modi has called Rahul Gandhi a failure and the Gandhi family a burden on the Congress and the nation. The Congress people did not object as they were used to the insults by Modi. But the BJP has taken objection to the remark made by Kharge as a great insult to the prime minister and his family and planned a series of walkathons across the country. Amit Shah himself is scheduled to attend a protest march on November 2nd in Hyderabad in which the local BJP leaders are planning to mobilize one lakh people. The protest marches are planned as a counter to the protests by the Congress and INDIA bloc on one hand and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) on the other.
Prominent Journalist
Dr. K. Ramachandra Murthy is a versatile journalist with a distinguished career. Dr. Murthy began his extensive career with Andhra Prabha of The Indian Express group in Bengaluru. He was editor of Udayam, Vaartha and Andhra Jyothy. Dr. Murthy founded and edited HMTV news channel and The Hans India, an English newspaper. He was also editorial director of the Telugu newspaper, Saakshi. He was awarded Ph. D for his research work in rural reporting. Dr. Murthy’s five decades in journalism showcases his influential roles across both print and electronic media. He wrote the political biography of NTR published by Harper Collins.
Email: murthykondubhatla@gmail.com
Mobile: 9908002211
