Priyanka Chaturvedi Questions EC’s Silence on SIR Concerns, Calls for Due Process in CEC Removal

Chaturvedi said the functioning of a robust Election Commission was essential to ensuring democratic transitions of power, with voters deciding which party governs the country.

“A change of government is a process in every democracy. One party is in power today, and another may come to power at a different time. However, this depends on the functioning of a robust Election Commission,” she said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also referred to parliamentary procedures for the removal of constitutional authorities, expressing hope that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla would follow the prescribed rules if a motion seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar was brought before Parliament.

Birla had earlier said that any fresh motion seeking Kumar’s removal would be examined in accordance with parliamentary rules and procedures, amid Opposition protests over alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.

Chaturvedi questions EC’s response to internal concerns

Chaturvedi criticised the Election Commission for not holding a press conference or responding publicly to questions following the issuance of its press note.

She claimed that the concerns had emerged from within the Commission itself, rather than originating with the Opposition. According to her, two fellow Election Commissioners had raised questions concerning Kumar and the conduct of the SIR process, including the addition and deletion of names from electoral rolls and the use of Forms 6 and 7.

“These concerns have come from within the Election Commission itself. The Election Commissioners met the Cabinet Secretary,” she said.

Referring to media reports that the Cabinet Secretary had forwarded letters from the Election Commissioners to the Union Law Minister, Chaturvedi said the reported correspondence warranted scrutiny.

She also warned the BJP against actions that she alleged could disadvantage the Opposition, arguing that such measures could have consequences for the ruling party in the future.

Questioning the removal of names from electoral rolls through the SIR process, she alleged that voters who might oppose the ruling party could be affected. These claims were made amid the wider political dispute over the revision exercise.

Calls for democratic change through elections

Chaturvedi said political change must be achieved through constitutional and democratic means rather than by drawing inspiration from developments in other countries.

“Today’s newspapers state that the Cabinet Secretary forwarded those letters to the Law Minister; if we talk about regime change, then it should be done only through the vote of the masses,” she said.

She specifically rejected the idea of looking to Bangladesh or any other country as a model for political change, reiterating that governments must be elected or replaced through the people’s votes.

The controversy over the SIR process has prompted Opposition protests and renewed scrutiny of electoral roll revisions, while the proposed removal of the Chief Election Commissioner remains subject to the procedures laid down under the parliamentary framework.