Chirag Paswan asks ECI to address SIR row, protect public trust amid Rahul Gandhi’s attack

Union minister Chirag Paswan has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI), particularly Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, to firmly respond to questions being raised over the electoral process and ensure that public confidence in elections is not affected.

Paswan's remarks came a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded Kumar's resignation amid a growing controversy over the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and reported differences within the poll panel.

"If such questions are being raised against the Election Commission, I believe it is also the responsibility of the Election Commission, especially the CEC, to firmly present its side," Paswan said.

The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) leader said he was not concerned about Opposition parties raising the issue, arguing that "it is their job to do politics". However, he said the Election Commission has a responsibility to address concerns surrounding the electoral process.

"The Election Commission must maintain the trust of the people because if doubts arise in the public's mind about the electoral process itself, that would be wrong," Paswan said.

He added that the poll panel should put forward its position clearly so that questions about the electoral process do not create doubts among voters.

Why is the Election Commission facing questions?

The latest controversy follows a report by The Indian Express which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections over several decisions linked to the electoral process.

According to the report, the two Election Commissioners had questioned matters including the integrity of the voter database, changes to the process of enrolling new voters and the security of electoral rolls. The report said there were at least 14 instances over a 10-month period in which Sandhu and Joshi were kept out of decisions or raised objections to them.

The reported differences have become part of the wider political controversy surrounding the ECI's Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of electoral rolls.

The Election Commission, however, has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections amounted to institutional dissent. The poll body has said that queries, inputs and suggestions raised during the draft stage are part of its routine decision-making process and sources maintained that decisions taken by the Commission, including those concerning SIR, were unanimous.

What did Rahul Gandhi say about CEC Gyanesh Kumar?

Rahul Gandhi on Thursday demanded that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar resign, or "turn an approver", while attacking the Election Commission over the SIR controversy.

Gandhi alleged that the SIR exercise was connected to what he described as "vote chori" and called the developments an attack on the Constitution and India's electoral system.

"Gyanesh Kumar must resign immediately...What you have done is an act against the Indian nation...This is an attack on the Constitution of India," Gandhi said.

He also praised Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over their reported objections, saying they had "done a wise thing".

Gandhi's remarks followed the report about disagreements within the Election Commission over electoral-roll processes, including issues related to voter enrolment, deletion of names and access to electoral-roll databases. The Election Commission sources have maintained that the final decisions of the three-member panel were unanimous.