Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 18 (ANI): Former Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishnamurthy on Tuesday welcomed US President Donald Trump's praise for India's voter identification system, saying the country has "reasons to be proud" of its election management and highlighting the role of voter ID cards in preventing impersonation and fraudulent voting.
Krishnamurthy was reacting to Trump's recent remarks, citing India's election system and comments attributed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on the importance of voter identification.
"The electronic photo identity card was introduced sometime in 1993. So it has been invoked mainly to ensure that there is no impersonation and no fraudulent voting by non-citizens," Krishnamurthy told ANI.
He said the voter identity card has become an essential component of India's election management system along with electronic voting machines.
"It has come off very well, and it is an essential part of the Indian election management along with the electronic voting machine and the electronic photo identity card. I am glad that President Trump has mentioned it, but it has been there for so many decades, and we have reasons to be proud," he said.
Krishnamurthy also pointed to differences between the electoral systems of India and the United States, noting that election management in the US varies across states.
"There are a lot of differences between the Indian election system and the American election system. Every State has a different system of management," he said.
He further highlighted India's use of indelible ink as an additional safeguard against multiple voting.
"Many countries do have a system of identification. But our identification, apart from the fact that we have a photo identity card, is ink that is not dissolvable. That ink mark also ensures the identity of the voter so that he does not come back again to come and vote," Krishnamurthy said.
He said political criticism of the system should not detract from the broader significance of Trump's remarks.
"Although this has received some political criticism from some parties, I think we must confine ourselves to the fact that it is a comment on the system, not on any individual," he said.
Trump had renewed his call for the passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, citing India's voter identification requirements.
"Earlier this month, India's Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, asked our Administration -- How can you have Elections in the US without a valid Photo ID?" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump said India's last general election had 646 million voters and claimed that every voter had to present a valid photo identity document.
The White House has said the proposed SAVE America Act would require proof of citizenship and valid identification for registration in federal elections. (ANI)
"We have reasons to be proud": Former CEC Krishnamurthy welcomes Trump's praise for Indian voter ID system
