The ECI’s press note today is too lame, too little, too late.
It confirms that
@IndianExpress story was indeed true, and leaves the central questions unanswered.
🔔ISSUE 1: FORM 6
Two ECs opposed the changes to Form 6. One called them “unauthorised” and “illegal”.
The ECI now says the old Form 6 will remain available outside SIR, i.e. in SSR.
❓But what about young voters disenfranchised in Bihar or West Bengal, where SIR was followed by elections without an intervening SSR?
❓What is the relevance of the old Form 6 if the SSR has not been conducted since Jan 2024?
🔔 ISSUE 2: ECINET
The ECI says it will set up a committee, headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC) and including an IIT/IIIT expert, to review ECINET.
But it already has a Project Steering Committee (PSC) overseeing e-governance, including ECINET - with all DECs and 3 IIT/IIM experts.
❓ So what good has the preexisting PSC served that the same or a similar committee is now being trusted with reviewing the ECINET?
🔔 ISSUE 3: THE 97 GOA VOTERS
The ECI says 81 of the 97 excluded Goa voters have now filed Form 6 - after the Indian Express report.
But that still leaves the real questions:
❓Why were they excluded in the first place?
❓How many others across India were excluded for the same reason?
❓And how is the ECI planning to find them and restore them?
So Gyanesh Kumar Gupta can try, as much as he wants, to hide behind these long press notes. He cannot simply wash his hands of this mess.
He should either resign and turn approver, or be prepared to be tried for TREASON.