"Beyond description": Jairam Ramesh on ECI's stern rejoinder to Kharge

New Delhi [India], May 10 : Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the response of the Election Commission of India to the issues raised by party president Mallikarjun Kharge is "beyond description".
"The response of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to the issues raised by the Congress President in his letter to the INDIA parties is simply beyond description," Ramesh said in a post on 'X'.
The Election Commission on Friday castigated Congress President Kharge for obstructing the ongoing Lok Sabha election. The poll body said the Congress President had made baseless allegations regarding the release of voter turnout data in the middle of ongoing polls which are designed to create confusion, misdirection and impediments in the conduct of free and fair polls.
Pointing out that the content and intent of the letter will be a "permanent blot" on the reputation of the poll body where luminaries like Sukumar Sen, TN Seshan, JM Lyngdoh used to serve.
"The EC is a Constitutional body entrusted with the responsibility of being an impartial body that ensures, and is seen to ensure, a level-playing field to all political parties. Both the content and intent of the letter will be a permanent blot on the reputation of an institution that can boast of luminaries like Sukumar Sen, TN Seshan, JM Lyngdoh and others," Ramesh said.
Criticising the approach of the Election Commission, the senior Congress leader said, "The Congress President had raised perfectly legitimate issues, on which there have been widespread concern and comment. The approach of the Election Commission to addressing these issues is deeply regrettable."
Ramesh informed that a delegation of the Opposition INDIA parties will be meeting the poll body on Friday evening and will flag the issue.
"A delegation of INDIA parties is meeting the ECI at 5 pm today and will take up both the letter of the Congress President and the ECI's extraordinary reply," he said.
In a harshly worded rejoinder to the Congress President, ECI Called his statements "aggression on vitals of live election operations".
It said that the ECI was determined "to act against developments which have a direct impact on the delivery of its core mandate." The commission categorically rejected Kharge's contentions, calling them insinuations and innuendos.
The ECI asserted that no lapse or deviation in the collection and dissemination of voter turnout data; pilots all past and present procedures and practices; and provided point-by-point counters to reject Kharge's contentions.
The commission also refuted any delay in giving turnout data and pointed out that updated Turnout data has been always higher than the poll day. The commission provided a factual matrix from the 2019 general election onwards.
The Commission said it finds a 'pattern' in a series of past and present irresponsible statements from INC and calls it 'disconcerting''. The commission said, with all facts in place, the Congress President is attempting to push a biased narrative.
ECI especially condemned with contempt Kharge's statement, "Could this be an attempt to doctor the final results", and said, it can create an anarchic situation, besides doubts and disharmony.
On May 7, Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to the leaders of the INDIA bloc over the alleged discrepancies in the voting data released by the Election Commission (EC).In his letter, Kharge urged the INDIA bloc leaders to raise their voices against voting data discrepancies, for "our only objective is to protect the culture of a vibrant democracy and the Constitution".