Hearing on Electoral Rules Postponed by Supreme Court
Capital India: SC Gives EC Three Weeks to Respond to Election Rule Amendment Petitions
In the heart of Delhi, the Supreme Court extended a helping hand to the Election Commission of India (EC), allowing an extra three weeks to file its case in response to petitions questioning the recent amendments to the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.
A panel, led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, had initially requested replies from both the Centre and the EC following a plea by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh. Maninder Singh, the poll panel's legal representative, requested more time, which the court granted, setting the case for the week of July 21.
Two additional public interest litigations from Shyam Lal Pal and activist Anjali Bhardwaj are still awaiting attention. The petitioners fear these amendments cleverly obstruct public access to CCTV and webcasting footage from polling stations, which they believe undermines transparency without revealing voter choices.
Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, representing Ramesh, stressed that CCTV recordings cannot disclose individual votes and emphasized the need for prompt replies. The government, on the other hand, asserted that the rule modifications are essential to prevent the misuse of sensitive electronic records.
"The integrity of the electoral process is swiftly crumbling. Let's hope the Supreme Court can bolster it," Ramesh expressed earlier.
In a related move, the ECI has asked state officers to eliminate CCTV, webcasting, and video footage of the election process if no election petition is lodged within 45 days of the verdict. This move aims to curb the misuse of such footage for spreading misinformation and malicious narratives. [1][2]
[1] The Indian Express, "Supreme Court grants EC additional three weeks to file reply on plea challenging ECI amendment to Conduct of Elections Rules", accessible at https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/supreme-court-grants-ec-additional-three-weeks-to-file-reply-on-plea-challenging-eci-amendment-to-conduct-of-elections-rules-7897725/
[2] The Wire, "SC issues notice to Centre and ECI on plea challenging ECI amendment to Conduct of Elections Rules", accessible at https://thewire.in/law/sc-issues-notice-to-centre-and-eci-on-plea-challenging-eci-amendment-to-conduct-of-elections-rules
[3] The Print, "SC seeks Centre, ECI's response on ban on electoral videos, CCTV footage in polling stations", accessible at https://theprint.in/india/sc-seeks-centres-ecis-response-on-ban-on-electoral-videos-cctv-footage-in-polling-stations/826684/
- The petition challenging the Electoral Commission of India's amendments to the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, is now influenced by policy-and-legislation, as it involves changes to election rules, and is part of the larger context of general-news, considering the current elections.
- The ongoing politics surrounding the election process in India is further manifested in the Supreme Court's extension of time for the Election Commission to respond to the petitions, as well as the government's assertions in defense of the rule modifications.
