Srinagar, Sep 23: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said reported differences within the Election Commission of India raised “a lot of questions”, calling for corrective action to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
Reacting to The Indian Express report that two Election Commissioners had raised objections to poll panel decisions, Omar complimented the newspaper for its investigative reporting.
“I think first I compliment The Indian Express. This was a very good piece of investigative journalism,” he said.
Omar said the reported divisions within the Election Commission were concerning.
“Given what has been shown, the internal sort of divisions within the Election Commission, clearly, as they say, there is something wrong,” he said.
He added that the commissioners’ statement acknowledging differences made the matter more serious.
“It proves that things are not right there and somewhere there is a need to take corrective action,” Omar said.
Warning against erosion of public trust in elections, he said: “The foundation of democracy is elections. And if people lose faith in elections, then why would people participate in elections at all?”
On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim that voter deletions amounted to an attack on the Constitution, Omar said: “What Rahul said is absolutely right.”
“If you are stopping somebody from voting where voting is their right and they want to vote… if this is not an attack on the Constitution, then what is?” he said.
Omar also criticised BJP remarks on Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at an event marking Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary, saying the BJP was trying to present history “in a new way”.
“What lesson will those who did not participate in the freedom struggle teach us?” he said.
“The BJP has now developed a habit. When they do not like something, they try to present history in a new way,” Omar added.
