words per minute
15
SonuAhirwar1493713
00:00
Speed
The reform was first suggested by the CEC in 1998 and reiterated several times. The EC also submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court last February saying it wanted to be empowered to de-register a political party, particularly in view of its constitutional mandate. Elections are the bedrock of democracy and the EC's credibility is central to democratic legitimacy. Hence, the guardian of elections itself needs urgent institutional safeguards to protect its autonomy. It is time that action is taken to depoliticise constitutional appointments and the EC empowered to de-register parties for electoral misconduct. It is a step needed towards restoring all-important public faith in the institution.
While these reforms may continue to be debated, nothing stops the EC from asserting the ample authority it has under the Constitution and being tough. It's not their discretion but the constitutional mandate. It did not need a reminder or a nudge from the Supreme Court.
The letter described the Prime Minister's March 27 announcement, of India's first anti-satellite test, as a serious breach of propriety amounts to giving unfair publicity to the party in power. Questions were also raised over the launch of NaMo TV without licence, and a biopic on the life of the Prime Minister which was scheduled for release on April 11, when elections commenced. The group also requested the EC to issue directions to withhold the release of all biopics and documentaries on any political personages through any media mechanism until the conclusion of the electoral process. They asserted that the release of such propaganda amounted to free publicity, and hence should be debited as election expenditure in the name of the candidate in question. The same standards should also apply to other such propaganda, an example being a web series titled Modi A Common Man's Journey.
Other important issues highlighted in the letter included transfers of top officials, voter verifiable paper audit trail audits, violations of the MCC by Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh (for which the group has requested his removal on account of grave misdemeanour and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his speech he referred to the armed forces as the army of Narendra Modi, and also corrosion of the political discourse in general. Needless to say, the questions being raised about the credibility of the EC are a cause for worry. It is, however, not the first time that the conduct of the commission has been questioned.