"Who ordered the change?": Rahul Gandhi slams ECI over Form 6
LoP Rahul Gandhi demands answers from the ECI regarding illegal modifications to the online Form 6 for voter registration amid the SIR row.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), demanding accountability over recent modifications made to the online Form 6. The controversy erupted following reports that the voter registration process was altered during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The Core of the Controversy: Form 6 Alterations
The dispute centers on the ECINET portal, where the online Form 6—the primary document used for adding names to electoral rolls—was reportedly modified. According to investigative findings, an additional declaration was inserted into the form. This new requirement asks applicants to disclose whether their name, or the name of a parent or grandparent, was present in the electoral rolls prepared during the previous SIR.
Rahul Gandhi took to social media to question the legality and the chain of command behind this decision. In a post on X, the Congress leader raised several pointed questions:
- Who within the Election Commission ordered this specific alteration to Form 6?
- Who officially approved such a change?
- Who at the ECI instructed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to implement this modification?
- Who at TCS signed off on the change, and was there any external pressure involved?
Gandhi's allegations are bolstered by reports indicating that even within the poll panel, there is dissent. It has been noted that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had previously raised objections regarding these changes to the online application process.
INDIA Bloc Mobilises for Nationwide Protests
The Form 6 row is part of a much larger political confrontation between the Opposition and the ECI regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The INDIA bloc has intensified its efforts to challenge the functioning of the poll body.
Following a high-level coordination meeting in New Delhi, the Opposition announced a series of aggressive protests:
- Save Democracy March: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced that opposition parties will launch a nationwide "Save Democracy March" at the district level from October 2 to October 8.
- March to ECI: Opposition MPs are scheduled to march to the Election Commission headquarters on October 6.
- Meeting with the President: INDIA bloc leaders are expected to meet President Droupadi Murmu in the second week of October to formally raise their grievances.
"Democracy is Bigger Than Any Individual"
Addressing the coordination meeting, Rahul Gandhi emphasized that the movement is about protecting democratic institutions. He stated that the leaders of the INDIA bloc are committed to ensuring that those perceived to have undermined Indian democracy face consequences.
"It is the personal commitment of all INDIA leaders that we are going to ensure that the people who have destroyed Indian democracy are punished. It doesn't matter how senior they are, who they are; Indian democracy is bigger than every single person in this country," Gandhi remarked.
While the Opposition ramps up its pressure, the Election Commission has stood its ground. The poll body maintains that the preparation of electoral rolls follows established statutory procedures and has indicated that it is taking steps to review the functioning of the ECINET system.