Supreme Court to Hear Plea Against Election Rule Amendments

The Supreme Court is addressing a plea from Congress's Jairam Ramesh against amendments to the 1961 election rules, specifically limiting public access to CCTV footage. Senior advocates argued these changes harm electoral transparency. Notices have been issued, and the hearing is set for the week beginning March 17.

The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and the Election Commission regarding a plea filed by Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh. The plea challenges recent amendments to the 1961 election rules, mainly concerning the restriction on public access to CCTV footage.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar took note of the concerns raised by senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi on behalf of Ramesh. The court issued notices and scheduled a hearing for the week commencing March 17.

Ramesh and his legal team argue that the amendments undermine the integrity of the electoral process by restricting transparency and public accountability. The government has justified the change as a move to protect voter identities, but critics say it limits necessary checks on election conduct.

(With inputs from agencies.)