‘CEC Gyanesh Kumar must step down, EC’s credibility is at stake’
Over the week, the coverage of the Urdu press was dominated by wide-ranging ramifications of the investigation by The Indian Express that shone light on the rupture and disquiet within the Election Commission (EC), reporting that two of the EC’s three Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, had recorded their objections, 14 times in 10 months, on a gamut of issues: decisions taken without their knowledge; changes to Form 6 for new voters; deletion and restoration of voters in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR); and centralisation of the voter database. The Urdu dailies read in them an unprecedented crisis gripping the poll monitor, stressing on the need to take urgent course correction to restore the credibility of the constitutional body and reaffirm public faith in the integrity of elections.
Highlighting the storm set off by the revelations in The Indian Express reports about the divide within the EC and the objections raised by two Election Commissioners (ECs) Sandhu and Joshi over multiple SIR-related decisions and gaps in processes, the New Delhi edition of Inquilab, in its September 26 editorial, says that the voices rising against the conduct of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar could not be suppressed. “The ongoing countrywide protests, petitions being filed in courts, closing of ranks by the Opposition parties and youth activists’ proposed agitation — these developments underline the gravity of the issue. They also raise a question: Do the people still have faith in the country’s electoral institution – and if they are losing that trust, who has the responsibility to restore it,” it says.
The editorial notes that some petitions have been filed in the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court against alleged illegalities done by the EC under CEC Kumar in the SIR exercise, especially in en masse deletion of names from the voter lists. While the EC has said that its SIR-related decisions have been taken unanimously, it has not addressed a range of questions, concerns and objections, the edit says.
The protests being held by the Opposition and youth outfits against the CEC in different parts of the country, including Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, point to growing unrest among political workers and students, says the daily. “Many of them were detained by the police. The government should realise that any police action could not dispel the misgivings in public mind about the sanctity and credibility of the electoral processes and the EC. A protest could be scuttled, but it would not put an end to such questions,” the edit states, adding that full transparency and an impartial probe must be ensured to address mounting public concerns. “Gyanesh Kumar must be ousted from his office as the credibility of the country’s poll institution is at stake now.”
AAG
Commenting on the raging EC row in the aftermath of The Indian Express expose, the Lucknow-based Aag, in its September 26 editorial, points out that India is widely acknowledged as the world’s largest democracy based on free and fair elections. The EC was established under Article 324 of the Constitution as an independent body mandated with the critical task to ensure transparent elections while remaining politically neutral, it says. “In recent years, however, the EC’s conduct has come under a cloud with questions raised over its independence and impartiality.”
The editorial notes that during his tenure from 1990 to 1996, then CEC T N Seshan gave identity, purpose and teeth to the EC, helping it to discover its own powers as an institution. He ushered in wide-ranging reforms that changed the face of Indian democracy, defining electoral malpractices, introducing voter ID cards, implementing the Model Code of Conduct and setting a limit to poll expenses, the edit says. “These reforms gave confidence to every voter that every single vote matters and that the EC is a true custodian of their democratic rights.”
Citing the apex court’s 2023 ruling in a matter related to the appointments of the CEC and ECs, the editorial says it had laid down an interim mechanism under which these appointments would be made by a committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. The government, however, subsequently passed the CEC-EC appointment Act in 2023, replacing the CJI with a Union Minister on the selection panel to give itself a majority, the edit says. “Apart from questioning this selection process, the Opposition has been accusing the EC of being partial to the ruling dispensation in the election process — from declaration of poll dates to selective implementation of the MCC.”
The daily writes that the EC has been facing its biggest crisis, adding that its conduct of the SIR has sparked grave questions about its functioning and adherence to various legal and constitutional provisions. “The Opposition has demanded Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation, announcing their nationwide campaigns and a renewed proposal to move an impeachment motion against him in Parliament. The EC has issued statements to answer some questions, but they have reinforced suspicions about a cover-up,” the edit says. “From its rise during the T N Seshan period to its fall now amid the SIR fiasco, the EC’s journey has been turbulent. It is critical for our democracy that the EC’s credibility is restored.”
SIASAT
Flagging the increasing incidents of sexual assault and rape in different parts of the country, Siasat, in its September 23 leader, cites some horrific cases that occurred recently: a minor girl was allegedly molested in Jamui in Bihar by a group of men, while a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped in a park in South Delhi by three men posing as policemen. The editorial also refers to the alleged gangrape of a minor girl on a sleeper bus by its driver and conductor, with the bus travelling nearly 47 km from Greater Noida to Old Delhi’s Kashmere Gate.
“All these incidents are deeply disturbing that point to the failures of the government and law enforcement agencies in ensuring safety and security of our public spaces for women. The government’s slogans for women empowerment sound hollow as women have continued to be at the receiving end of rampant violence and discrimination,” the edit states. “The grim situation betrays a mindset bent on controlling and bullying women and curbing their rights and freedoms. This patriarchal system has remained opposed to women getting equal rights at all levels.”
The daily goes on to say that despite the government’s claims about its various measures to ensure women safety and bring the perpetrators of crimes against them to justice, the situation on the ground presents a different reality. This is reflected, the edit says, by rising atrocities against girls and women across the country, which reveals a systemic failure on the part of the administration and police. “This is imperative that the government take serious cognisance of the crisis and implement firm, effective and institutional measures to deal with it.”
