‘Videos Of Mothers, Sisters At Polling Booths?’: EC Defends Privacy, Rejects Sharing Data

The Election Commission of India (EC) on Sunday defended its decision not to release CCTV footage from polling stations, arguing that doing so would compromise voter privacy. The statement came in response to allegations of electoral irregularities raised by the Opposition, particularly Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, addressing a press conference in Delhi, strongly criticised the use of phrases such as "vote chori (theft)." He said that attempts to mislead citizens amounted to "nothing less than an insult to the Constitution."

"At a time when attempts are being made to target voters by firing from the EC's shoulder, we want to state clearly that the Commission has always stood firmly with every voter, regardless of community or religion, and will continue to do so like a rock," the CEC asserted in Hindi.

Explaining why political parties had not been given access to machine-readable electoral rolls, Kumar said the Supreme Court had already ruled in 2019 that sharing such data could infringe on individual voter privacy. Without naming Rahul Gandhi, he referred to Opposition claims that some voters were registered in multiple constituencies.

He added that voter photographs had recently been shown to the media without consent, and used to make allegations. Linking this to demands for CCTV footage from polling stations, Kumar questioned, "Should the Election Commission release videos of someone's mother, sister, or daughter-in-law voting?" He stressed that only individuals whose names appear on voter lists are eligible to vote.

Kumar further highlighted the presence of nearly 1.3 crore election staff, booth-level officers, and representatives of candidates, arguing that such a system ensures transparency. "In such a transparent process, can anyone really steal votes?" he asked. He also noted that no evidence had been presented to support claims of double voting.

Earlier, the EC had asked Rahul Gandhi to submit evidence under oath. Gandhi had countered by saying that, as an elected Member of Parliament, he had already sworn allegiance to the Constitution, and suggested the Commission verify its own records that he had cited.

The CEC maintained that unfounded allegations cannot intimidate either the Election Commission or voters. "False accusations can scare neither the EC nor any voter," he said, reiterating that the Commission's commitment to protecting the integrity of elections remains unwavering.