Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 27 (ANI): Stepping up the attack against the Election Commission of India (ECI), Karnataka Congress president BK Hariprasad backed party leader Rahul Gandhi's allegations, accusing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of undermining the poll watchdog and acting "against the Constitutional body".
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Hariprasad claimed that big differences had emerged within the poll panel, alleging that dissenting notes were recorded repeatedly by fellow commissioners regarding internal decisions.
"What my leader Rahul Gandhi had said is that the Election Commission of India, Gyanesh Kumar has committed grave anti-national activities in the Election Commission of India, when two Election Commissioners, Sandhu and Joshi, had given dissent almost 14 times regarding the affairs in the Election Commission," Hariprasad said.
Further questioning the internal procedural adherence within the Commission, the Congress leader pointed out unilateral decisions regarding electoral guidelines.
"When Form 6 was amended, it was not consulted with the entire Commission, which shows that Gyanesh Kumar was working against the Constitutional body," Hariprasad alleged.
The Indian Express report said the two Election Commissioners had raised objections over certain decisions and orders issued without their knowledge.
The development also comes a day after Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of "match-fixing elections".
Gandhi cited a media report regarding former Keralam Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson's claim that Kumar had approached him in 2016 and suggested that he contest the Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket.
"First, Gyanesh Kumar - then a serving IAS officer was used to recruit for the BJP. Then Modi and Shah made him the umpire and put him in charge of match-fixing India's elections," Gandhi said in his post.
According to the report cited by Gandhi, Thomson claimed that the conversation took place on a flight to Delhi around the time of his retirement. He said Kumar suggested that he contest the 2019 election as a BJP candidate, become an MP and subsequently a minister. Thomson said he declined the purported offer.
The ECI, however, has rejected allegations of disagreement over its SIR decisions, maintaining that decisions related to the exercise were taken with the "unanimous approval of the Commission".
The poll body also clarified that a letter sent to the Cabinet Secretary concerned the functioning of an officer on deputation and was not related to any policy matter of the Commission or its IT division. (ANI)
"Gyanesh Kumar has committed anti-national activities": Karnataka Congress chief BK Hariprasad
