SC Petition Targets CEC Over Electoral Roll Row & ECI Dissent!
SC Petition Targets CEC Over Electoral Roll Row & ECI Dissent!
A Supreme Court petition is rocking the ECI! Allegations of electoral roll irregularities, internal dissent, and tech issues plague CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Get the full story on this high-stakes legal battle affecting India's
The Supreme Court is currently seized of a significant petition that seeks a police investigation and criminal action against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The legal challenge stems from alleged irregularities linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and accusations of internal dissent within the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The petition, filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi, highlights concerns first reported by The Indian Express. This report indicated that Kumar's two colleagues, election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had formally objected at least 14 times in the past 10 months to decisions and orders made by the poll panel.
These objections reportedly included issues related to the SIR of electoral rolls.
Adding to the controversy, the petition also claims that state officials responsible for electoral rolls were unable to access the database due to a new technology backbone implemented by the ECI. This raises questions about the transparency and accessibility of crucial electoral data.
The legal challenge further targets senior deputy election commissioner Manish Garg and ECI director general (Information Technology) Seema Khanna, alongside the CEC.
It is alleged that Manish Garg issued unauthorised work reallocation orders on July 28, bypassing the commission and attempting to “eliminate administrative oversight over the IT division.” This particular action reportedly led the two election commissioners to escalate their concerns to the Cabinet Secretary. The petition argues that
Intentionally manipulating records, committing forgery, or subverting the constitutional electoral process in the course of discharging official duties can under no circumstances be treated as an integral part of those duties.
However, the Election Commission of India has refuted the criticisms leveled against its functioning and the reports of internal dissent. The ECI clarified that differing views and observations are a normal part of deliberations in any institution.
Furthermore, it asserted that all its digital platforms, including ECINet, operate under strict data security protocols designed to prevent unauthorised tampering or manipulation, and that all its actions were legal.
