"EC press note actually works against them": Former CEC SY Quraishi over electoral rolls row
Former CEC SY Quraishi criticizes the Election Commission's press note and the SIR process, alleging admission of systemic errors.
Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi has launched a scathing critique against the Election Commission of India (ECI), suggesting that the poll panel's recent official press note has inadvertently highlighted significant operational failures. His remarks come as the institution faces intense scrutiny regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and internal disagreements within the Commission.
"Absurd" Admissions in EC Press Note
Speaking to ANI, Quraishi argued that the Election Commission's attempt to clarify its position has actually undermined its credibility. He pointed out that the language used in their statement implies a lack of standard procedures in the past.
"The press note the Election Commission issued actually works against them," Quraishi stated. He noted that by promising to implement certain administrative steps in the future, the Commission has essentially admitted to neglecting them previously.
He highlighted several points of contention:
- The promise to hold agenda meetings, implying they were not held before.
- The commitment to issuing agendas, suggesting they were not previously provided.
- The pledge to issue minutes of meetings, implying a past absence of such documentation.
- The intention to "actually hear matters," which Quraishi suggests implies a failure to do so in the past.
Quraishi further questioned the consistency of electoral processes, asking if there are "two sets of laws in India" and questioning if different versions of Form 6 are being applied to different citizens.
Internal Dissent and the SIR Controversy
The controversy stems from reports suggesting significant internal friction within the Commission. According to a recent report by the Indian Express, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi reportedly raised objections at least 14 times over a ten-month period. These disagreements reportedly touched upon critical issues, including:
- The implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
- Discrepancies involving Form 6.
- The deletion of voters from electoral rolls.
- Access to electoral-roll databases.
The Election Commission has denied that these instances constitute institutional dissent. The poll panel maintains that all decisions regarding the SIR schedule were made with "unanimous approval" and that the queries raised were merely part of standard administrative processes during the draft stage.
Growing Political Pressure and Calls for Resignation
The scrutiny of the ECI has extended beyond former officials to prominent political figures and opposition parties. Former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has taken a hardline stance, calling the Commission's current actions unlawful. Jung has demanded the removal and replacement of all three commissioners and has called for the SIR process and any elections conducted under it to be annulled.
Political opposition has also intensified, with parties including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), Trinamool Congress, and Shiv Sena (UBT) demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor described the situation as "shocking," alleging that the current process is effectively denying citizens their constitutional right to vote. Tharoor further claimed that decisions were being made that bypassed other commissioners and suggested that changes to electoral software may have prevented officers from restoring deleted voters.