The Election Commission (EC) stated on Wednesday that all of its official orders, decisions, and administrative directions are legally binding. The EC emphasized that differing opinions and observations are a standard aspect of institutional deliberation, underscoring the importance of accountability in its operations.
In a point-to-point written rebuttal, the poll body said it remains fully committed to executing its constitutional duties with complete integrity, recognising its vital role in advancing Indian democracy.
“Written notes, observations, technical suggestions and internal checks-and-balances are standard, ongoing practices designed to ensure complete transparency, legal compliance and operational rigour. Report: It said that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders of the Election Commission.
EC rebuttal: The EC called this “routine exchanges”. All actions of ECI have been in accordance with laws and instructions of the Commission,” it said. Report: It said the commissioners’ objections included additions, deletion and restoration of voters and changes to the voter registration process. Report: According to the report, Sandhu and Joshi warned that voter database access was gradually being centralised in Delhi, bypassing state election officials. EC rebuttal: The Commission said its digital platforms, including ECINet, “operate under strict data security protocols to prevent unauthorized tampering, manipulation, etc. Report: The Indian Express said the commissioners called steps on new voters ‘unauthorised, illegal’.
