Following the demand of Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, the Election Commission on Saturday refused to share CCTV footage of webcasting of polling stations, citing privacy and legal obstacles. This came by Rahul Gandhi after the Election Commission called for publishing integrated, digital, machine-elective voter list for the recent elections of all the states including Maharashtra, in which he said that telling the truth will protect the credibility of the Election Commission.
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The Election Commission said that a valid appeal to release video or CCTV footage from polling stations on the day of election weakens the confidentiality and security of voters, refuting the Representation of the People Act and the Supreme Court guidelines. It states, “What is being hidden as a very logical demand, is actually opposite to voters’ confidentiality and security concerns, the Representation of the Public Representation Act, 1950/1951 and completely opposite to the instructions of the Supreme Court of India.”
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The Election Commission said, “By sharing the footage, the voters will be easily identified by any group or individual, which will make both the voters who vote and the voters who do not vote will be sensitive to pressure, discrimination and threats by anti -social elements.” It said that if a particular political party gets less votes at a particular booth, then it will be able to easily identify through CCTV footage that which voter has voted and which voter, and after that he can disturb or scare the voters.
