NEW DELHI, May 18: Demanding a probe into charges made by Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, the Congress today alleged that eroding institutional integrity has been the hallmark of Modi Government and asked whether the poll panel has become Election Omission and a puppet in the PM’s hands.
Lavasa is learnt to have written to the Chief Election Commissioner that he will be recusing from EC meetings as his dissent was not being recorded on clearances given by the poll panel to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged poll code violations.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked whether the EC will save itself more embarrassment by recording Lavasa’s dissent notes, as he accused PM Modi of “muzzling” democratic institutions.
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said there must be a credible investigation into the issues raised by Lavasa, alleging that the sanctity of the electoral process and the institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India is in jeopardy.
There must be a thorough credible enquiry into the issues raised by Lavasa and restoration of the Commission’s independent status as the watchdog of world’s largest democracy. Lavasa’s letter – contents of which have appeared in the media – is extremely serious.
The sanctity of the electoral process and the institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India is in jeopardy, said Ahmed Patel on Twitter.
In a statement, Surjewala said, “Election Commission has become ‘Election Omission’. Ashok Lavasa, one of the three members of the Central Election Commission (CEC), who dissented on multiple occasions when the Election Commission was busy giving clean chits to Modi-Shah duo opts out of EC meetings as the ECI even refused to record his dissent notes.
This is a day-light murder of Constitutional norms, set conventions and propriety. The poll panel’s rules express preference for a unanimous view, but provide for a majority ruling in the absence of unanimity. Being a Constitutional body, the minority view has to be recorded, but this is being trampled to protect Modi-Shah duo. (PTI)
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