Manishankar Aiyar Criticizes Chief Election Commissioner’s Conduct at Srinagar Event
Manishankar Aiyar condemns the Chief Election Commissions actions and discusses political issues during a recent event in Srinagar.
Srinagar, October 4 (Daily Kiran) : Former Union Minister Manishankar Aiyar participated in the “Halla Bol” event held at the Radisson Hotel in Srinagar on October 4. During the event, he addressed the Election Commission‘s actions and commented on remarks made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Aiyar disagreed with Kharge’s statement labeling the government as “illegal.” He noted, “I do not concur with him. I believe the Election Commission was functioning autonomously until recently. I do not think it is necessary to legally establish the autonomy of a constitutional body. The Supreme Court is not referred to as autonomous; it is a constitutional entity. By designating it as a constitutional body, you inherently ensure its autonomy. However, there has been a disruption in this process. The appointment procedures for these commissioners and judges lack transparency.”
He further remarked, “I find the Chief Election Commissioner’s behavior shameful, and the conduct of both election commissioners is also questionable, as they have not publicly supported the notes of 14 or 15 that they possess on television.”
Aiyar asserted, “What they are doing is illegal. I believe they were elected. However, there are significant doubts regarding their actions post-election.” His comments were in response to Kharge’s remarks about irregularities in the election process, which he claimed rendered Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all chief ministers illegal.
On the issues concerning Pakistan and China, Aiyar stated, “I have discussed this in detail before. It is not feasible to elaborate here. However, we are perceived as hypocrites. We tell the world that this is not an era of war, yet we initiate conflict with Pakistan. We advocate for diplomacy and dialogue, but the only country with which we have neither is Pakistan. Our involvement in the Quad has also angered China. Now even the U.S. claims that the Quad holds no importance. What kind of diplomacy is this? It has nothing to do with our strategic autonomy. It is an attempt to entrap both parties. This is transactional, not moral.”
