EC cites ‘breach of privacy' in response to Rahul Gandhi's poll footage request, says video may be used to harass voters
In a clear rejection of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's request for poll footage, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday said that such a move is violative of privacy and security concerns of voters.
ECI sources say that calls for public release of footage may be politically motivated, aiming to harass or profile voters, especially in booths where a party performs poorly.
Earlier this month, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha had demanded that the ECI publish consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states including Maharashtra, and release post-5pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths.
The Congress leader has accused the BJP of rigging the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections through a five-step process, including tampering with the Election Commission and inflating voter turnout.
According to news agency PTI, the EC officials said while such demand suits their narrative in making it sound quite genuine and in the interest of voters and safeguarding the democratic process, it is, in fact, aimed at achieving exactly the "opposite objective".
Officials claimed that what is veiled as a very logical demand is actually "entirely contrary" to the privacy and security concerns of voters, the legal position laid down in the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and 1951 and the directions of the Supreme Court.
Sharing the footage, which would enable easy identification of the electors by any group or an individual, would leave both the elector who has voted as well the elector who has not voted vulnerable to pressure, discrimination and intimidation by anti-social elements, they asserted.
Creating an instance, they said if a particular political party gets the lesser number of votes in a particular booth, it would easily be able to identify, through the CCTV footage, which elector has voted and which elector has not, and, thereafter, may harass or intimidate them, according to the report.
Maintaining privacy and secrecy of the elector is non-negotiable for the EC and it has never compromised on this essential tenet laid down in the law as well upheld by the Supreme Court, the functionaries said.
The Congress leader had alleged that the assembly elections, held in Maharashtra and Haryana last November, were 'rigged' in favour of the BJP. The Congress and its allies had suffered a massive defeat in both elections.
In an written op-ed titled 'Match-fixing Maharashtra', Rahul had accused the BJP of rigging the Maharashtra assembly elections through a five-step process, including tampering with the voter turnout.
The EC had, in response to Rahul's allegations, released a point-wise rebuttal, labelling them 'absurd' and saying that Rahul had raised 'unsubstantial allegations'.
'Any misinformation being spread, by anyone, is not only a sign of disrespect towards law, but also brings disrepute to the thousands of representatives appointed by their own political party and demotivates lakhs of election staff who work untiringly and transparently during elections,' the EC's statement said.
"After any unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd," it said.
Rahul then slammed the poll body, stating that 'unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions.'
While demanding the EC release post-5pm CCTV footage from the polling booths, Rahul said in a post on X, 'Evasion won't protect your credibility. Telling the truth will.'
(With inputs from agencies)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
35 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Pawan Kalyan reaches Madurai to attend Murugan Devotees' conference as chief guest
Deputy Chief Minister and JSP chief K. Pawan Kalyan arrived in Madurai on Sunday (June 22) to participate in the Muruga Bhaktargal Maanaadu (Conference of Murugan Devotees), marking a significant cultural and political moment in the southern region. Mr. Pawan Kalyan received a grand welcome at the Madurai airport from senior BJP Tamil Nadu leaders, including State president Nainar Nagendran, party observer Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy and other prominent functionaries. His visit underscores growing collaboration between BJP and JSP, especially as both parties work to strengthen their base across southern India. Mr. Pawan Kalyan will offer prayers at the historic Tirupparankundram Subramanya Swamy Temple, one of the six sacred abodes (Arupadai Veedu) of Lord Murugan. Following the darshan, he will take part in the Murugan devotees' conference as the chief guest, addressing spiritual leaders, devotees and attendees from across Tamil Nadu and beyond. Among those who welcomed Pawan Kalyan were BJP State vice-president Chakravarthy, State leader Amar Prasad Reddy, BJP Madurai district president Mari Chakravarthy, State general secretary Ram Srinivasan and veteran leader Radhakrishnan, according to a press release. The event holds political significance, with Mr. Pawan Kalyan's participation seen as a gesture of cultural outreach and solidarity with Tamil spiritual traditions. Political analysts view the visit as part of a broader strategy to enhance the BJP-JSP alliance's presence in Tamil Nadu, where cultural reverence and political messaging often go hand in hand.
The Hindu
35 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Congress govt. shielding KCR family on KLIP row: Bandi Sanjay Kumar
Alleging massive corruption in Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) under the previous BRS government led by KCR, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar hit back at the ruling Congress dispensation accusing it of being a shield for KCR family. 'Some people are spreading false propaganda that the BJP has changed its stance on Kaleshwaram and colluded with BRS. Our party's stand on the Kaleshwaram project is very clear, and our demand is for a CBI inquiry into the Kaleshwaram project,' Mr. Sanjay told the media in Karimnagar on Sunday. 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself said that the Kaleshwaram Project became an ATM for KCR's family. That is BJP's stand too. If any party leader speaks against the BJP's stand, it's wrong. The high command will deal with them,' he said in reply to a query. Has Congress leader Rahul Gandhi forgotten his earlier demand for a CBI probe into the Kaleshwaram fiasco during the last Assembly elections? he asked. 'We don't trust the Congress government's current investigation into Kaleshwaram project. Our main demand remains a CBI inquiry,' he added. Citing the copies of the Central Water Commission (CWC) report, he said the CWC reported that Tummidihatti has water availability of 165 tmc ft based on the scientific assessment of the data from the past 33 years (1986 to 2013). 'But those at the highest echelons of power in the previous BRS government altered the design and looted public money by inflating the ₹38,000 crore project to ₹1.2 lakh crore,' he charged. 'The project failed to bring any tangible results.' If BRS claims that the Kaleshwaram project was built with Cabinet approval and sub-committee recommendations, why aren't they making those documents public? Mr. Sanjay asked. Taking a dig at KCR, he said that Mr. Rao, who called himself a top engineer, alone made all decisions including on Kaleshwaram during his tenure as Chief Minister. Stating that the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) is a statutory body, the Union Minister said the BJP's view is that any future action on the Kaleshwaram project must be guided by the expert committee report.
Hindustan Times
43 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Bengal child rights commission sends notice to BJP's Amit Malviya
Kolkata: The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights has served a show cause letter to Amit Malviya, head of the national information technology cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party, for posting a photograph of a minor girl after her unnatural death in Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on June 16, a commission official said. BJP leader Amit Malviya. (File Photo) Targeting chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Malviya alleged in a social media post on June 19 that the girl was gangraped and murdered. He attached a photo in which the minor's face was digitally blurred. 'The commission took suo motu cognizance of Malviya's post because the minor could be easily identified despite an effort to digitally blur her face. This is a violation of the Juvenile Justice Act,' a commission official said requesting anonymity. Malviya, a BJP national executive member and co-incharge of the party's West Bengal unit, also alleged in his post that the incident had a communal angle. He wrote: '...Mamata Banerjee's governance has been an unmitigated disaster for women's safety. Worse still, the administration is suppressing the incident, citing 'communal sensitivity' — because the victim is Hindu and the accused are Muslim. This is not secularism. This is state-sponsored injustice...' The West Bengal police issued a rebuttal on X on June 20, calling Malviya's allegation a lie and stating that post mortem examination had revealed that the minor died after consuming poison and there was no evidence of sexual assault whatsoever. 'Lies Again! Efforts are being made from certain quarters to spread misinformation about the death of a minor girl four days back. Facts are, an unnatural death of a minor girl happened. The body was recovered from her house in observance of all formalities. Inquest and post mortem, under proper videography, was done to ascertain the cause of death. Based on the complaint by the mother of the deceased, FIR in Jibantala PS was also registered,' the state police said. 'The post mortem report reveals that there was no sexual assault whatsoever and the death was caused by consumption of unknown poison. Investigation is in progress. A criminal case is being started against the person who shared the photograph of the deceased minor girl on social media in violation of the Hon'ble Apex Court guidelines and also attempted to fuel communal disharmony,' the post added. Malviya did not comment on his post and the commission's show cause letter till Sunday afternoon. Bengal BJP unit's chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said: 'Answers to all questions raised will be given in due time.'
