The Congress party has heavily criticized the Election Commission of India for amending rules governing electronic documents, including CCTV footage and webcasting recordings.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh slammed the ECI, stating, “We would challenge this move legally. Why is the ECI afraid of transparency?” The party questioned ECI’s motives and said the amendment was an attempt to conceal information from the public.
The ECI claims that the amendment aims to prevent electronic records from being misused, potentially compromising voter secrecy or creating false narratives using AI. However, the Congress party has attributed the changes in rules to the “rapidly eroding integrity of electoral politics” and accused the ECI of undermining transparency in the electoral process.
The amendment to rule 93 (2) (a) of the conduct of Election rules,1961, limits public access to certain electronic documents, only allowing inspection of those explicitly mentioned in the rules. Nomination forms and election account statements remain accessible, and CCTV footage and webcasting recordings are now restricted.
However, ECI officials argued that the amendment is necessary to prevent the misuse of electronic records. Referred to a few instances where electronic records have been sought citing the rules. The amendment ensures that only papers mentioned in ‘the rules are available for public inspection’.
The controversy has sparked a debate on the transparency of the electoral process; the Congress party is urging the ECI to reconsider their move and ensure all election-related electronic documents are accessible to maintain free and fair election decorum.
