Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, ECI on Jairam Ramesh’s election rule amendments plea; next hearing in March

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought a response from the union government and the Election Commission of India on a petition filed by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh challenging amendments to Conduct of Election Rules. 

The amendments prevent public inspection of electronic documents, including CCTV footage, webcasting recordings and video footage of candidates.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and justice Sanjay Kumar, issued notices to the two respondents. The top court has reserved the matter for hearing in the week commencing March 17, news agency ANI said.

The Congress filed the writ petition in the Supreme Court last month challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, and expressed hope that the apex court will help restore the "fast eroding" integrity of the electoral process.

The Modi government tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents, including CCTV cameras, webcasting footage and video recordings of candidates to prevent their misuse.

AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh, who filed the petition, had said, “The integrity of the electoral process is fast eroding. Hopefully the Supreme Court will help restore it.”

"A writ has just been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961," he said earlier in a post on X.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for the Congress leader on Wednesday and questioned the reasoning behind the amendment."One of the reasons given in the press is, we have taken away CCTV, video because identity of voter is revealed," Singhvi submitted, according to legal news website Bar and Bench.

After the Court issued notice on Ramesh's plea, Singhvi urged the Court to set a deadline for respondents to file their replies. "Otherwise on that date (the next hearing date), they will say 'reply (needs to be filed)'," he said.

(With inputs from Bar and Bench)