Rahul questions EC over Form 6, asks who ordered TCS to make ‘illegal’ change
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged that the online Form 6 used for new voter registration was changed illegally and questioned who in the Election Commission of India (ECI) instructed Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to make the alteration.
Gandhi also asked who at TCS approved the change and whether the company was pressured to carry it out.
"The online Form 6 was changed illegally - as the EC's own Commissioners have recorded. Who at the ECI ordered Tata Consultancy Services to make that change?" Gandhi said in a post on X.
"Who at TCS signed off on it? And were they pressured into doing it?" he added.
His remarks came a day after the opposition INDIA bloc announced plans for joint "save democracy" marches across all districts and five major rallies. The grouping also demanded that future elections be conducted using ballot papers and urged the Supreme Court to expedite cases concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and alleged electoral irregularities.
At a meeting attended by leaders of 19 political parties, which continued for more than three-and-a-half hours, the INDIA bloc decided that opposition MPs would march to the Election Commission on October 6. Its leaders will also meet the President to raise concerns over alleged irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
The opposition grouping also discussed its demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and said it would continue to press for his removal.
The meeting took place days after The Indian Express reported that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections at least 14 times over 10 months to decisions and orders concerning the SIR that they said were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
The Election Commission, facing scrutiny over the objections raised by the two commissioners, has maintained that differing views and observations are a normal part of institutional deliberations and that its orders have full legal sanction and follow established statutory procedures. (with inputs from PTI)
