New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Praveen Khandelwal retaliated against Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for his comments on the electoral process, claiming that Kharge‘s claims are wholly unfounded and that the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducts elections in a transparent manner.

Khandelwal emphasized that the ECI is an impartial and independent organization in an interview with the media report on Sunday.

Elections are conducted in a transparent manner. Under PM Modi’s direction, the government promotes democracy and works to make elections accessible to the general public. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s claims are wholly unfounded.Every time Congress loses an election, they point the finger upon the administration. The BJP MP said that such accusations are unfounded and only an attempt to undermine democracy.

Mallikarjun Kharge harshly criticized the Union Government’s recent modification to the Conduct of Election Rules, which was based on an ECI suggestion, earlier on Sunday, claiming that it compromised the Election Commission’s credibility.

Kharge said in a post on X (previously Twitter) that the government is now obstructing important electoral information in spite of a High Court ruling, citing other measures including the removal of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the ECI selection panel.

“The Modi Government’s bold change to the Conduct of Election Rules is just one more attack in its ongoing plot to undermine the Election Commission of India’s institutional integrity. “Even after a High Court order, they have resorted to blocking electoral information after previously removing the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel that chooses Election Commissioners,” he stated.

This followed a previous ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the Mahmoud Pracha v. ECI case, which mandated that all records pertaining to the Haryana Assembly elections be shared, including CCTV video, in accordance with Rule 93(2) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

Based on a suggestion from the ECI, the Center’s revision now limits public access to certain electronic data, including CCTV video. To clarify which papers are available for public view, the Union Law Ministry recently modified Rule 93(2).

A senior ECI official, however, told the media report that no changes have been made to the regulations in this area and that the candidate already has access to all of the data.