Delhi Polls: Former GoI Secy Writes to ECI, Seeks Probe Into Voter List ‘Manipulation’ Charge

New Delhi: Amid allegations by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of large-scale voter list “manipulation” in Delhi and the Election Commission’s denial of the same, former top bureaucrat-turned social activist, EAS Sarma, has sought an urgent probe into the allegations.

Sarma, in an open letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, said only a probe could reveal the truth behind such allegations, which, adding that anyone tolerating “such a fraud amounts to serious breach of the trust reposed by the public in the institution of the Election Commission.”

“If any of the facts disclosed by Shri Sanjay Singh is found to be true, those responsible for committing such a fraud deserve to be proceeded against, both under the relevant provisions of the election laws and the relevant provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,’ he said.

Read the full letter below:

Possible false additions to the Electoral Rolls of Delhi- Request urgent investigation and action against all the concerned

To
Shri Rajiv Kumar
Chief Election Commissioner

Shri A C Pandey
Election Commissioner

Shri A Goel
Election Commissioner

Dear S/Shri Rajiv Kumar/ Pandey and Goel,

Please refer to the deeply distressing disclosures made four days ago by Shri Sanjay Singh, Member Of Parliament (AAP) of possible falsification of entries in the Electoral Rolls of Delhi at the instance of several persons holding responsible positions in public life and others, all of them belonging to one political party, namely, the BJP (https://youtu.be/Sa1FxRDXA8U)

If any of the facts disclosed by Shri Sanjay Singh is found to be true, those responsible for committing such a fraud deserve to be proceeded against, both under the relevant provisions of the election laws and the relevant provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita.

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

If the alleged fraud is established, it represents a much deeper rot that seems to have set in our electoral system, which reflects poorly on the credibility of all those responsible for conducting elections.
I find that one of you, Shri Rajiv Kumar, the CEC would demit office shortly. I read somewhere  (https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/will-detox-go-to-himalayas-cec-rajiv-kumar-on-post-retirement-plans-125010700888_1.html) that he intended to “detoxify” himself and spend several months in solitude in the Himalayas post his retirement next month. While he is welcome to do so and I am sure that he would be replaced by a worthy successor, considering that Shri Sanjay Singh had made the above referred disclosures four days ago, I would expect that the ECI has already got the same thoroughly investigated and initiated action. If not, it diminishes the credibility of the Election Commission and all those who hold senior positions in that office.A party seeking to win elections at any cost, including through falsification of electoral rolls, cannot be trusted with the onerous responsibility of taking part in elections. 

For anyone to tolerate such a fraud in itself amounts to a serious breach of the trust reposed by the public in the institution of the Election Commission.

Yours sincerely,

E A S Sarma

Former Secretary to Government of India

Visakhapatnam

Courtesy: Countercurrents.org