00:00Take a look at what the opposition leaders are saying.
00:30Take a look at what the opposition leaders are saying.
01:00Take a look at what the opposition leaders are saying.
01:30Take a look at what the opposition leaders are saying.
01:50And the Congress party has outrightly rejected the joint statement that has been released by the Election Commission.
01:56And they are saying that there are lapses in the functioning and that wrongdoing, this dissent that has been reported
02:06in the news report is a proof of wrongdoing in the Election Commission.
02:11Well, definitely, you know, we are seeing how the opposition parties from all the sides now are mounting pressure, asking
02:17questions and saying that there were dissents which in fact were being written and were being given by both the
02:23Election Commissioners.
02:24Now, the Election Commission comprises of three people, the CEC, that is the Chief Election Commissioner, and two Election Commissioners,
02:31that those are the ECs.
02:32Now, both the ECs at different points of time, in fact, had pointed fingers towards the lapses that were taking
02:37place with regards to the process that was what was being followed with regards to SIR.
02:42So what we are at the moment seeing is a clarification of sorts coming in the form of a joint
02:48statement where the entire Commission in one voice is saying that, yes, there are difference of opinions which actually take
02:54place when the discussions happen.
02:56But one also needs to see the way in which orders are being passed.
02:59And on an average, there are close to 10 orders that are being passed by the Election Commission almost daily.
03:03The Election Commission also saying that all three of them are united, and when the time came to take the
03:08final decision, all of them were on the same page.
03:11But yes, you know, this has definitely given big boost to the opposition parties, be it the Samajwadi Party, be
03:16it the Ahmadni Party, be it TMC,
03:18which in fact, even as we are speaking, is fighting a case against the Election Commission in the Supreme Court
03:23with regards to freezing of the TMC symbol,
03:27with regards to the upcoming by-election.
03:29So all the opposition parties at some point or the other had dragged the Election Commission to the Supreme Court,
03:35some of them even giving nicknames to the Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanish Kumar.
03:39This is a joint statement which has come in, also speaking about the fact that at the end of the
03:43day,
03:43what is important is that each and every person is able to, in fact, vote.
03:48So that is something that the Election Commission is maintaining, but there are certain questions which still need to be
03:53answered.
03:54In fact, let me tell you, you know, when we speak individually to ECs at the moment, there is no
03:58response coming in.
03:59But a joint statement has been issued by the Election Commission where they are saying that,
04:03yes, we do agree that there were discussions which were taking place.
04:06There were varied arguments that were being put forward.
04:09But when you speak about the final decision, at that time, all three of them unanimously decided
04:13that the SIR exercise should be rolled out across the country.
04:16Right, Aishwara, we've got that response from the Election Commission.
04:20The opposition parties have also reacted.
04:22But how, what is the reaction of the BJP on these reports?
04:28Well, the Bharatiya Jinta Party at the moment is not speaking on what the opposition parties are saying,
04:34that it is now in black and white.
04:37The BJP at the moment mum on this.
04:39But yes, at various occasions, we have seen how the BJP, in fact,
04:42had pointed towards the former CECs and said that,
04:45you should have seen the way in which the former CECs,
04:48they, in fact, used to come out with the schedule,
04:51also saying that political parties are different from the Election Commission.
04:55The Election Commission is a constitutional body.
04:57But yes, questions definitely being raised because we did see when Rahul Gandhi,
05:02in fact, he's a part of the panel that selects the ECs and the CEC,
05:06when he was part of that, when the names were given to him,
05:08at that point of time, Rahul Gandhi had dissented on the names.
05:12But despite Rahul Gandhi's dissent,
05:13we did see the government going ahead and making sure that the CEC was Gyanesh Kumar.
05:18So we have seen dissent coming in from the opposition parties
05:21with regards to the functioning of the Election Commission of India.
05:24A big blow has come to the Election Commission in the form of reports
05:27which point towards the fact that not just one EC,
05:30but both the ECs at different points of time,
05:32in fact, had pointed fingers, raised questions,
05:35and also had written letters to the Cabinet Secretary
05:38saying some of the things that were happening with regards to the SIR
05:41were not as per the law.
05:42So those definitely are questions that need to be answered.
05:45The joint statement, you know, brushing aside the report,
05:48saying that what had happened was that discussions were taking place.
05:52In fact, discussions do take place almost on a daily basis.
05:55Those were the points that were being raised.
05:57And when discussions take place, at that point,
05:59the ECs, in fact, also speak about the fact that there are some kind of problems
06:03that the common man can actually face.
06:05Those problems need to be minimized.
06:07So those were the kind of discussions that were happening
06:09within the Election Commission of India.
06:10A joint statement has been issued.
06:12The ruling party, the BJP at the moment, mum on it,
06:15but the opposition has now launched a full frontal attack from 360 degree.
06:20The Election Commission now being asked questions from various political parties.
