INDIA bloc urges EC to save democracy

March 22, 2024 | 2 min read

The INDIA bloc members today met the Election Commission (EC) to urge the election conducting body to ensure a “level playing field” for all the parties in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This comes after the late-night arrest yesterday of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the Enforcement Directorate.

Over especially the last few weeks, there have been several actions against major Opposition parties, which can have a chilling effect on the democratic process of elections.

The parties which were part of the delegation today arrived in Delhi at a very short notice. Most of the major parties were present. Bengal was represented by the ruling Trinamool Congress, Even those two or three which could not make it expressed their full solidarity.

Summary of what members of the INDIA bloc told the EC

1. The EC must ensure a level playing field because if they don’t, it would hurt the basic structure of the Constitution.
2. The EC has the power to even declare a constitutional amendment as unconstitutional. It must use this power.
3. The present government at the Centre has shown a blatant and brazen use of state power (multiple examples provided in memorandum).

This is the worst state of affairs in 75 years of elections since:

• For the first time, a sitting chief minister is arrested
• Jharkhand Mukti Morcha working president has been arrested
• Indian National Congress bank accounts have been frozen
• There are multiple examples of Trinamool Congress being targeted
• The Bengal director general of police has been changed three times in 24 hours
• There are multiple other examples from all non-BJP parties

1. Why has no action ever been taken against anyone from the ruling party? There is 100 per cent bias.
2. The election process has started, so the EC must protect the deliberate and sinister actions of the party in power which is only targetting political opponents.
3. Having the power to arrest does not always mean there is the necessity to arrest.
4. “Election period should be neutral, impartial, non-discriminatory” (this is what the 2019 EC circular said). Please implement this.
5. If the EC can transfer police, state officials, etc. then why not officers of Central agencies?
6. Article 324 gives the EC all the power. Please exercise it to even curtail actions from ED, CBI, IT, etc. till the elections are over.
7. We are many parties here from the INDIA alliance. Some of us even oppose each other in our states. But we are here to SAVE DEMOCRACY.

#EC, #INDIA bloc