New Delhi: The Election Commission has changed electoral rules to exclude CCTV footage of polling booths from the list of ‘documents’ accessible to the public. Previously, Section 93(2) of the Conduct of Election Rules allowed “all other papers relating to the election” to be inspected with court approval. The move triggered an instant criticism from the Congress party that accused the poll body and the PM Narendra Modi-led government of undermining transparency and electoral integrity.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh announced that the party will challenge the Election Commission’s amendment in court.
“If there was ever a vindication of our assertions regarding the rapidly eroding integrity of the electoral process managed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in recent times, this is it,” Ramesh wrote on X.
Sharing the December 20 notification, he added, “This move of the ECI will be challenged legally right away.” The Congress general secretary further asked, “Why is the ECI so afraid of transparency?”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh stressed the importance of transparency in elections, stating, “Transparency and openness are key in exposing and eliminating corruption and unethical practices, and information restores confidence in the process.”
हाल के दिनों में भारत के चुनाव आयोग द्वारा मैनेज किए जाने वाले चुनावी प्रक्रिया में तेज़ी से कम होती सत्यनिष्ठा से संबंधित हमारे दावों का जो सबसे स्पष्ट प्रमाण सामने आया है, वह यही है।
पारदर्शिता और खुलापन भ्रष्टाचार और अनैतिक कार्यों को उजागर करने और उन्हें ख़त्म करने में सबसे…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh)
Backing the criticism, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant. If something is kept in the dark, it’s decaying slowly but surely,” a part of his post on X read.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has defended its decision to limit access to poll booth CCTV footage, citing voter privacy and safety concerns. Officials from the ECI and the Law Ministry said the amendment was triggered by a recent Punjab and Haryana High Court order. The court had directed the ECI to provide documents related to the Haryana Assembly elections to advocate Mahmoud Pracha.
An official stressed that sharing CCTV footage from sensitive areas like Jammu and Kashmir or Naxal-hit regions could endanger voters. “Lives of voters may be at risk, and the secrecy of the vote must be protected,” the official said.
The amendment, based on the ECI’s recommendation, restricts public scrutiny of certain electronic records, including CCTV footage. However, all other election-related documents remain open for public inspection.
(With agency inputs)
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