Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

People in power no longer care to be seen as neutral. CEC Gyanesh Kumar isn’t the only one

The truth is that hardly anyone in a position of authority in India acts out of shame or a desire to respect propriety.

The increasing clamour over the Chief Election Commissioner made me wonder: Do shame and politics go together? And more generally: Have we become a country that has lost a sense of propriety? One where people in powerful constitutional posts no longer bother whether they are seen as neutral?

Let’s start with the Chief Election Commissioner. Till 2023, the Chief Election Commissioner was appointed by a three-person committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of the Opposition. The government then passed an Act which changed the process of appointment, removing the Chief Justice from the selection committee and replacing him with a cabinet minister.

The controversial move was challenged in the Supreme Court. Last week, the Chief Justice recused himself from hearing the case and said another bench would hear it. So the matter continues.

Till then, the Election Commission is headed by Gyanesh Kumar, a former civil servant who came to public attention when he worked to establish the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust in the Home Ministry.

When Kumar was appointed as CEC, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition, submitted a dissent note. But as the government had two of the three places on the committee, the appointment went ahead anyway.

Just because a civil servant worked under Amit Shah in the Home Ministry, we shouldn’t take the line that he leans a certain way. He should be allowed to demonstrate that he is fair and impartial.

But whatever you think of Gyanesh........

© ThePrint