Rahul Gandhi Terms EC’s 45‑Day CCTV Deletion Order ‘Match‑Mixing’, Slams Destroying of Election Evidence

On Saturday, Rahul Gandhi of the Congress party condemned the Election Commission of India (ECI) for 'deleting evidence' when it was supposed to be 'providing answers' after the poll panel instructed its officers to destroy CCTV camera, webcasting and video footage from elections after a period of 45 days.

"Voter list? Will not give machine-readable format. CCTV footage? Hidden by changing the law. Election photos and videos? Now they will be deleted in 45 days, not 1 year. The one who was supposed to provide answers - is the one deleting the evidence," Rahul Gandhi alleged in a post on social media platform X.

The senior Congress MP, who is also the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, posted in Hindi that, "It is clear that the match is fixed. And a fixed election is poison for democracy."

Also Read: Iran–Israel War Live Updates: Israeli Jets Strike Iran Military Infrastructure, ‘Powerful’ Blasts Heard

Reaction of Election Panel

While responding to Rahul Gandhi's request for results of the CCTV footage from polling booths in the Maharashtra assembly election, the ECI said the comments were 'politically motivated'.

ECI source told Hindustan Times that the public release of such footage could be politically motivated, meant to harass or profile voters, particularly in booths, where a party performs poorly.

Rahul Gandhi has been asking for voter lists, election data and video footage from the poll panel while alleging discrepancies in the Maharashtra assembly election.

In Rahul Gandhi's own words, he issued his remarks of on the ECI after the instruction was released indicating its state poll officers were to destroy the CCTV camera recordings, webcasts, and video footage of the election process after 45 days, the ECI stating they feared that the electronic data would be used to create "malicious narratives" if a verdict is not challenged in courts within that time.

Also Read: Faridabad Murder: Tannu’s Body Found 2 Months After Being Buried by In-Laws in 10-Foot Pit

The election commission stated in a letter to the state chief electoral officers on May 30 that it has circulated guidance for recording various phases of the election process through images, video, closed circuit camera and webcasting during the election process.

Electoral laws do not require such recordings, but the commission uses them as an internal management tool during the various phases of the electoral process.

"However, the recent misuse of this content by non-contestants for spreading misinformation and malicious narratives on social media by selective and out-of-context use of such content, which will not lead to any legal outcome, has prompted a review," it said.

It has now provided its state poll officers that the CCTV data, webcasting data and imaging of the election processes at various phases will be retained for a period of 45 days.

"If no election petition is filed in respect of a particular constituency, then the said data may be destroyed," it instructed.

Any individual can advance an "election petition" challenging the verdict in the poll within 45 days, in an appropriate high court.

Also Read: IND vs ENG Live Score: India Stumbles Before Lunch – England Claims 4 Wickets in Quick Succession, IND 454-7