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Rahul Gandhi Criticizes Midnight Appointment of New CEC, Calls for Delay Until Supreme Court Hearing
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, expressed strong disapproval of the government’s decision to appoint Gyanesh Kumar as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) late on Monday night. Gandhi described the move as “disrespectful” and “discourteous,” especially given that the selection process is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court.
The government’s decision came shortly after a meeting of the prime minister-led selection committee, where the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha had called for a delay in the process until the Supreme Court hearing on the matter. In his dissent note, Gandhi raised concerns about the integrity of the process and its timing.
Gandhi, who is part of the selection committee alongside Home Minister Amit Shah, stated that he presented his dissent to the panel, emphasizing the importance of maintaining an independent Election Commission, free from executive interference. “The most fundamental aspect of an independent Election Commission is the process of selecting the Election Commissioners and Chief Election Commissioner,” he said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
He also accused the government of violating a Supreme Court order and excluding the Chief Justice of India from the selection committee, which he believes has worsened concerns about the credibility of the electoral system. “By bypassing the Supreme Court’s order and removing the Chief Justice of India from the committee, the Modi Government has heightened the fears of millions of voters regarding the integrity of our electoral process,” Gandhi added.
As Leader of Opposition, Gandhi emphasized his responsibility to uphold the principles set forth by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and other founding leaders of the nation, holding the government accountable for its actions. He criticized the government for making a hasty decision on the new CEC just before the Supreme Court was set to review the issue. “It is both disrespectful and discourteous for the PM and HM to have made a midnight decision to select the new CEC when the very composition of the committee and the process are under challenge in the Supreme Court and are due to be heard in less than 48 hours,” he stated.
Rahul Gandhi’s Dissent Note
In his dissent note, Rahul Gandhi referred to a speech by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar in June 1949, where he warned against executive interference in India’s democratic institutions, particularly the Election Commission.
Gandhi stressed that the process of appointing the Chief Election Commissioner must be free from political influence. He cited the Supreme Court’s judgment on March 2, 2023, which ordered that the selection of the CEC and Election Commissioners should be conducted by a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India. This decision, he argued, reflected concerns about the declining trust in India’s electoral process.
However, he noted that in August 2023, the government introduced a new law that restructured the selection committee to include the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition, and a Union Cabinet Minister appointed by the Prime Minister, effectively removing the Chief Justice from the panel. This move, Gandhi said, was a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s order.
The government’s decision was challenged in court, and the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on February 19, 2025. Gandhi emphasized that the process of choosing the new CEC should be deferred until the Court has made its ruling. He reiterated that continuing with the selection under the current circumstances would disrespect the judicial process and undermine the integrity of India’s democratic institutions.
Therefore, the Congress party has called for postponing the selection of the new CEC until the Supreme Court hearing, stressing that it would be disrespectful to proceed with the appointment when the process and committee composition are under judicial scrutiny.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated live blog and has not been edited by Localtak staff.
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