Deoghar (Jharkhand), Sep 23 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday criticised the Congress-led opposition at the Centre, accusing it of trying to suppress the “good work” of the Election Commission.
Sarma was in Jharkhand to inaugurate a multi-speciality private hospital in Deoghar district.
Replying to a question about reported differences between Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the other two Election Commissioners over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Sarma said the poll panel was a constitutional authority with an established structure.
“The Election Commission is a constitutional authority with its own established structure. We should not comment on it. The structure is sufficient to handle any issues that arise,” Sarma said.
Asked whether the opposition was justified in protesting against the EC, Sarma said, “The opposition is wrong. The commission is doing good work, and the opposition attempts to suppress them. Whosoever refuses to follow the opposition’s instruction, it conspires against them.”
His remarks came after a report in The Indian Express said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally objected at least 14 times over the past 10 months to decisions and orders related to the SIR and other electoral-roll matters that they said were taken without their knowledge.
(PTI News)
