The Congress party on Saturday launched a sharp critique of the Election Commission of India (ECI) for amending rules governing the public inspection of electronic documents such as CCTV footage, webcasting recordings, and video footage of candidates during elections. The party accused the ECI of compromising transparency and eroding the integrity of India’s electoral process.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh took to X (formerly Twitter) to express the party’s concerns, stating, “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 pointed to the December 20 notification announcing the changes and declared that the Congress would legally challenge the amendments. “Why is the ECI so afraid of transparency?” he questioned.
The controversy stems from the government’s amendment of Rule 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, based on recommendations from the ECI. The amendment restricts public access to certain electronic documents to prevent their misuse. Previously, Rule 93 allowed all “papers” related to elections to be open to public inspection, but the updated rule limits access by specifying the types of documents included under this provision.
According to the ECI, the change aims to prevent potential misuse of sensitive materials such as CCTV footage and webcasting recordings during and after elections. The Union Law Ministry issued the amendment on Friday, adding the phrase “as specified in these rules” to Rule 93.
The Congress, however, views the move as a deliberate attempt to undermine public scrutiny. Ramesh’s remarks reflect the party’s broader concerns over the perceived diminishing transparency in the electoral process.
This development has sparked debates on the balance between safeguarding election integrity and ensuring public accountability, with legal challenges expected to bring further attention to the issue.