'CJI to CCTVs': Rahul Gandhi's 3 questions during SIR debate
What's the story
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday raised three questions and four demands during the Lok Sabha debate on the Election Commission's special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He questioned the exclusion of the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel for appointing election commissioners and asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were so keen on choosing election commissioners.
Immunity inquiry
Gandhi questions immunity for election commissioners
Gandhi also questioned the central government's decision to grant immunity to election commissioners from any action taken during their tenure. He asked, "Why would the Prime Minister and home minister give this gift of immunity to the election commissioner?" The Congress leader demanded transparency over CCTV footage recorded during elections, questioning why a law was enacted allowing its destruction 45 days after voting.
Reform proposals
Gandhi's demands for electoral reforms
After posing his questions, Gandhi presented four demands for electoral reforms. These included providing a machine-readable voter list to all parties one month before elections, revoking the law allowing destruction of CCTV footage, granting access to EVM architecture for expert examination, and changing the law giving election commissioners immunity from accountability.
Election manipulation
Gandhi accuses BJP of manipulating elections
Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of manipulating elections with help from the Election Commission of India (ECI). He claimed to have provided evidence on how ECI colludes with those in power to shape elections. The Congress leader also alleged that institutions like the RSS are trying to capture all institutional frameworks in India, including intelligence agencies and bureaucratic placements.
Democracy
'Biggest anti-national act you can do is vote chori'
"Our nation is a fabric of 1.5 billion people and it is woven together by vote," he said, adding that the electoral process is the foundation that binds the country together. "We are not just biggest democracy, we are greatest democracy," he added. "The biggest anti-national act you can do is vote 'chori'; when you destroy vote, you destroy idea of India. Those across the aisle are doing an anti-national act by committing vote 'chori'."