CCTV footage related to elections is now away from the common man, know what changes have happened in the rules.

New Delhi: Now it will be difficult for common people to access the footage of CCTV cameras and webcasting of polling stations. The central government has changed the election rules for this. The Union Law Ministry took this decision on Friday on the recommendation of the Election Commission (EC). An EC official said, ‘Rule 93(2)A of the Conduct of Elections 1961 has been amended. There are many examples where electronic records were sought citing rules. There was a fear of compromise of voters’ privacy due to misuse of CCTV camera footage inside polling stations. Such footage can also be used to create fake stories through AI.

‘Records can be obtained from the court’

An EC official said, ‘All such documents are available to the candidate, including footage. These will remain available to them even after amendment. But common people can approach the court to obtain such electronic records.

Why was there a need for amendment?

In a recent case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed to share all the documents related to the assembly elections with the petitioner. The Election Commission official said that there was no clarity regarding electronic records in Rule 93(2). To overcome this, this amendment was made in the rule.

Congress will challenge the amendment legally

Congress on Saturday targeted the Election Commission over changes in rules to prevent public inspection of some electronic documents. The party said that its move will soon be challenged legally. Party General Secretary Jairam also asked the question why is the Commission so afraid of transparency?