NEW DELHI: Congress party on Saturday criticised the Election Commission of India for amending rules to restrict public access to certain electronic documents, including CCTV footage and webcasting recordings from polling stations.
Describing the move as a blow to electoral transparency, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh announced the party’s intention to challenge the amendment in court.
“This is the clearest evidence that has emerged in recent times to support our claims about the rapidly declining integrity of the electoral process managed by the Election Commission of India.” Ramesh posted on X.
The Congress contended that the amendment undermines transparency. “Why is the ECI so afraid of transparency?” Ramesh said.
He referenced the Punjab and Haryana high court’s reasoning that public access to information enhances faith in the electoral process.
Sharing the December 20 notification, he added, “This move of the Commission will soon be legally challenged.”
The Union law ministry, acting on the ECI’s recommendation, amended Rule 93 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. The modification inserts the phrase “as specified in these rules” to restrict the category of “papers” open to public inspection. Previously, all documents related to elections were available for public scrutiny.
Explaining the rationale behind the amendment, the ECI and law ministry officials cited concerns over the misuse of electronic records, particularly CCTV footage, with advancements in artificial intelligence.
A senior ECI official told ANI that the ambiguity in Rule 93 regarding electronic records necessitated the change to ensure voter secrecy and safety.
The ECI clarified that the rule change does not impact the availability of other election-related documents. Candidates will still have access to all election papers under existing provisions. However, public access to CCTV footage and webcasting records will now be restricted to protect voter anonymity and prevent the exploitation of sensitive data.
