The ongoing conflict between opposition parties and the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Voter Revision (SIR) in Bihar is directly affecting Indian voters. The opposition, particularly the Congress party, is openly challenging the Election Commission, which is responding assertively. This situation is unprecedented in independent India, where opposition parties are questioning the Election Commission's integrity, alleging it is influenced by the ruling party. It is crucial to resolve the SIR controversy swiftly. The issue is currently before the Supreme Court, and Chief Election Commissioner Shri Gyanesh Kumar Gupta recently addressed the media, dismissing Congress leader Shri Rahul Gandhi's accusations as false. Shri Gyanesh Kumar is well aware that the Election Commission operates independently of any political party. Therefore, his demand for Rahul Gandhi to submit an affidavit with his complaint within seven days or apologize to the nation for the false allegations is entirely inappropriate.
Indeed, when making these statements, Shri Gyanesh Kumar should have remembered that Shri Gandhi is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Shri Gandhi has claimed that there are numerous fake voters in the voter list of an assembly constituency in Karnataka, providing evidence of irregularities in the list issued by the Election Commission. Consequently, it is the Election Commission's duty to thoroughly investigate the entire issue. There have been several instances in India's parliamentary democracy where the Commission has conducted rigorous investigations based on a written complaint from a political party. In the 79-year history of India, this marks the first occasion where the Chief Election Commissioner has asked a politician to apologize and instructed him to submit an affidavit. It is crucial to understand that the government is not involved in the actions of the Election Commission, regardless of the political party in power. The framers of our constitution designed the election process and its entire system to ensure that the Election Commission conducts elections for the country's elected bodies impartially and without bias, establishing a voter's college for this purpose. This voter's college will include every Indian citizen over the age of 18.
The primary responsibility of the Election Commission is to create a voter list that includes both individuals residing in luxurious homes and those living on the streets, ensuring that each person's vote holds equal value. Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar referred to this as political equality, a concept rooted in the right to one vote, which Mahatma Gandhi termed as the self-proclaimed voter. This voter is the true custodian of democracy. In India, it is customary for political party leaders to pledge every five years that they will adhere to the will of the public or the voter if elected. When a voter thoughtfully chooses a candidate from a political party, they become the sovereign of democracy. Therefore, removing any Indian citizen's name from the voter list is an act of injustice against them. Conversely, adding fraudulent names to the voter list undermines the integrity of democracy.
So far, names of 65 lakh voters have been deleted in Bihar, out of which 22 lakh are such citizens who have died. But many dead people are found alive. We will call this a mistake. The Election Commission is expected not to make such a mistake because it is its job to prepare the list. As far as the affidavit is concerned, even the Chief Election Commissioner himself cannot swear that the list prepared by him is completely flawless. Actually, the Election Commission is such a constitutional institution which carries the entire democracy of India on its shoulders because only after its work is over, the three main pillars of this system are able to do their work. Of course, the judiciary is completely independent and apolitical and it is bound by the duty to see the rule of the Constitution in the country. Whereas the executive and the legislature are dependent on the election results. Similarly, the Election Commission also carries out its work with complete constitutional purity. But what is the matter that Shri Gyanesh Kumar is saying that Rahul Gandhi should apologize to the country.
In doing so, he overstepped the boundaries set by the Constitution for him. It's important to note that while the Election Commission is tasked with overseeing the entire political party system, the Constitution also grants it certain judicial powers. These powers obligate it to treat all political parties equally, without regard to whether they are in power or in opposition. The Election Commission only acknowledges the status of political parties. Our Constitution's framers have designed a remarkable system where the control of all political parties is entrusted to an 'apolitical' body, the Election Commission. Although it is not part of the government, the Election Commission establishes the foundation of the country's political administration. However, the ongoing disputes between the opposition and the Election Commission now appear to be causing direct tension between the public and the Election Commission. This situation must be avoided at all costs.