00:00It's not just about election commission of India in Delhi.
00:03It is also about lens on Goa poll officer for missing names.
00:07India today confronted the top election officer from Goa.
00:12Goa election officer is quiet and evading questions about 97 names at least
00:18that are missing from the poll role.
00:22The probe found that it appeared according to the officials that there was a software issue.
00:28But the election official is not really able to help us understand the real reason about it.
00:32And when India today asked that question very specifically, there was a threat.
00:38I'll call security and throw you out.
00:57Reply, reply, is that what I have said?
01:00Sir, 97th's name is very similar.
01:02I don't have any name.
01:04I don't have any name related.
01:05But but but but I have to tell you I have other students,
01:10but you get to know, let me check my records then you come back to me.
01:12But this issue is recent issue and I have to say.
01:22It was wrong to let you enter the cabin.
01:25You are acting too rigid, unnecessarily.
01:28Okay.
01:29So that is the question that is being asked.
01:31Why were certain names specifically missing?
01:34Was it a technical glitch?
01:35A software issue?
01:37Was this deliberate in any way?
01:39But for now, what we hear from the senior official,
01:42who is of course in charge of the elections in Goa,
01:46is saying that he has no understanding,
01:48no clarity on what happened
01:50and cannot possibly of course speak on this
01:52in case he doesn't have the authority.
01:54However, when we are clearly, as expected,
01:57persistent on the question
01:58because many would want to know
01:59what's happening in Goa election and electoral rules,
02:02then he threatens to call the security.
02:04This is a very simple question
02:05that you can hear from what is being asked.
02:08Let's listen in again
02:09to what India Today Architek reporter asked
02:12to the Goa officer
02:14and how he didn't seem to have an answer for it.
02:18I don't have any knowledge right now.
02:21I will check with my records.
02:22But sir,
02:23I will check with my records.
02:25But sir, 97s
02:26I will check with my records.
02:26I don't have any records.
02:27I don't have any records.
02:29It is eight months back.
02:30But sir, 97s name
02:35I don't have to have any name.
02:40I don't have any name anymore.
02:41It is a very, very important news.
02:45But sir,
02:45I will check my records.
02:47Then we come back to it.
02:49But, but,
02:49I don't have any name.
02:50I don't have any name.
02:56But I don't have any name.
03:01too rigid, unnecessarily.
03:03Okay.
03:31This isn't a big number.
03:32We've been talking in crores of the numbers that have been deleted or added.
03:37So how is and why 97 names?
03:41That, of course, what was the significance of the cause of the change of these names?
03:47That were the names struck off, it was added back and how?
03:51And that is the question that was being put to the election officer in Goa about why this
03:58has become the 97 names that are still missing as part of the electoral roll.
04:04And that is why we are told that Sanjay Goyal, who is the Goa Chief Electoral Officer, that
04:11he doesn't have the knowledge about it and will be looking at it.
04:14But was there a discrepancy of a kind that SR exercise possibly flagged?
04:19And that is why the names that were removed on this.
04:23So that is what we are looking at.
04:25And especially remember, Form 6 has become a huge issue of debate.
04:28This has become a political issue as well.
04:30And that is why Goa is also now in the dog.
04:34These are, of course, remember, like I reiterate, unlike some other states where the number could
04:39be massive with change in names.
04:40Here it's also the attitude of the officer in the manner in which he's responding.
04:45A question justifiably is being asked to him.
04:47And yet he doesn't have the answer to that.
04:53Remember, if the voters have been verified, if there was an appeal and the voters were verified,
04:59their names examined, everything was made clear, then what is the reason that the names are still
05:05missing?
05:06And a little bit of a clarity from who else but the electoral officer would have put all the
05:12controversy to rest.
05:14Vidya is joining me for the latest on that.
05:17Vidya, tell us more about how the 97 names have become so important for a discussion in Goa.
05:23But more than that about the attitude of the official.
05:26Is it fear?
05:26Is it concern?
05:27Does he feel he's been caught off guard?
05:29What's happening?
05:31Well, the Goa Chief Industrial Officer, you know, he had been writing to the ECI because
05:37of this entire issue revolving around the ECI net, the platform which the Commission has.
05:44However, in spite of his best efforts, he could not.
05:47But when the questions were put, because we remember, you know, these 97 names have been
05:53not missing now.
05:54Even when the electoral roles were yet to be published, at that time also they had been
06:01missing.
06:01And that's why when these questions were asked at that time, you know, he immediately,
06:07you know, refused to even acknowledge that there was such kind of a problem.
06:12And in fact, you know, in spite of the fact that he himself has written to the authorities
06:17in Delhi, he hasn't really, you know, he refused to speak any further on this issue, which really
06:23goes on to the very core of this issue.
06:26Can you explain that?
06:26Can you explain that?
06:26Are you saying that the same officer, Sanjay Gowell, has written to the ECI as well over
06:31this issue or some other officer has written?
06:34Well, the Goa Chief Electoral Officer, Sanjay Gowell, you know, he had apprised the Delhi ECI
06:41multiple times.
06:43He had, you know, if you remember, you know, earlier also, he has a couple of multiple times,
06:48he has written to the ECI asking for this correction to be made.
06:53But in spite of that, that correction has not been made.
06:57And probably that's one of the frustrations that you can see that, you know, at the moment
07:03when our colleague went over there, he tried to speak to him.
07:07Sanjay Gowell seemed to say that he was caught off guard, even though he knows this entire
07:11issue pretty well.
07:13So certainly, we'll really have to speak to the election commission further on this issue
07:20to find out what really is happening in these 97 cases.
07:24All right.
07:24Stay on with Vevidya.
07:26Let's listen in again, though not much of an answer from the officer.
07:28But basically, if the voters' names have been cleared, verified, why was it not put in
07:34the centralized system?
07:35Let's listen in again to the officer here.
07:38Although an issue is not important, we have any knowledge from the officer.
07:42You want to check with my record?
07:43But, sir, if any record check I should have with my record.
07:48I may not check with the record.
07:49I have no records.
07:50It is eight months back.
07:51But, sir, 97s name is a name for the whole other family.
07:56What is the 97s name for the entire family?
07:58Sir, I do not have any name for the whole family.
08:01I do not have any name.
08:02Please...
08:02But, I have to tell you, please.
08:18It was wrong to let you enter the cabin.
08:21You are acting too rigid, unnecessarily.
08:24Okay.
08:25Well, so clearly it appears that election commission officials, state or in Delhi have
08:31clearly realised that the attention is currently on the procedure of SIR and they will be questioned
08:36too, rightly so.
08:37A little bit more clarity and a statement from the organisation will clearly put any controversy
08:43to rest.
08:44At a time like this, remember, when we are looking at is there any sort of a concern or issue
08:49with the SIR and that needs to be flagged and immediately picked up or as the CEC, Gyanesh
08:54Kumar has also maintained, that all the decisions on SIR have been unanimous and even if there
09:00are any sort of internal differences, it has been a part of discussion.
09:04Like any democracy, these discussions and dissents have come forth.
09:08Vidya continues to be with us.
09:10Vidya, quick question on that.
09:11How are we looking at perhaps whether it is about elections locally or of assembly in Goa
09:16or otherwise as well and how many would say how 97 would hold such a significance compared
09:23to let's say when we are talking about crores of names going missing.
09:27Well, remember that even as you know we have been seeing as to how every vote matters is
09:33something what every politician seems to say.
09:35But at this moment with these just 97 names, even though they seem very few at the moment,
09:41but then if you look at it, you know, it's just a case study if you look at it as
09:46to how
09:46these 97 people whose names, in spite of the best efforts being put in by the authorities
09:53in Goa themselves, you know, their names are not getting in.
09:57And this seems to be, you know, be it the SIR issue or which is of course, you know, under
10:05consideration by different authorities.
10:06But then, and the opposition too, trying to put its pressure on the ECI by asking for
10:14an overhaul of the entire system of appointment of ECI.
10:17But then remember, in this entire case, as of now, these 97 people whose names are missing
10:24from the list is for them, you know, it's also a matter of the fact that there are many
10:30people that don't work.
10:31Absolutely.
10:31There may be fewer than 100 for now, but as much for every citizen, he holds the democratic
10:37right to be able to cast the vote.
10:39Goa is getting ready for elections in the next few months, 40 seats for the Goa Assembly
10:44and holds a lot of significance here.
10:47So we'll be tracking more of this on what happened in Goa and other states.
