- 37 minutes ago
A heated debate unfolded between Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Priyanka Tibrewal and Congress spokesperson Dr Nishant Anand regarding the role and functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The discussion addressed controversies surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, alterations to Form 6, and allegations of voter deletions. The opposition raised serious charges alleging that the constitutional authority has compromised voter rolls and acted under ruling party influence, questioning the deletion of voters and procedural compliance. In response, Priyanka Tibrewal defended the integrity of the institutional processes, affirming, 'we are having complete faith in Election Commission', while maintaining that legal procedures were conducted under the guidance of the Supreme Court. The exchange examined whether the constitutional poll body must independently address emerging public doubts or respond before the judiciary to preserve democratic transparency.
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00:01Alright, political face-off this evening. I have with me BJP spokesperson Priyanka Tibrewal, Dr. Nishantan, and joins me from
00:08the Congress. I want to begin with Ms. Tibrewal first.
00:11Ms. Tibrewal, at one end, yes, the BJP can take on the Congress and other opposition parties on the allegations
00:16that the political outfits are making.
00:18What one doesn't understand is, and correct me if I'm wrong, because the BJP and its various social media handles
00:27are constantly now speaking for the Election Commission of India.
00:30Why is the principal party in this country defending a constitutional body like the ECI?
00:39We are not defending the constitutional body. We are trying to say what are the facts.
00:44Yes, because all the allegations which are raised are not just against the Election Commission.
00:50They are saying that we are running the Election Commission.
00:52They are saying that we are the ones who are asking the Election Commission to follow this process of SIR.
00:58So, this is a kind of deception which they are trying to create, and they are masters in doing that.
01:03We have seen in the past. But those working in some U.S. restaurants and now coming and trying to
01:10play a major role in the politics in India,
01:12forget to understand that by just blaming, you cannot prove things which are not fact.
01:18See, they have, last week, they were on the issue that Sukhbir Singh and Vivek Joshi had raised certain objections,
01:26and those objections were there on the SIR electoral process and what happened.
01:31But there was a full stop after that.
01:33They failed to understand that there is an entire framework behind this SIR.
01:38There is a process which safeguards.
01:41And thereafter, this SIR was implemented in various states, like West Bengal also.
01:46That too, on a hearing which took place at the Supreme Court.
01:51The Supreme Court judgment that settled the core legal issue behind this entire SIR thing.
01:56But they are not speaking about all this.
01:58They want to come on the streets.
01:59They want to say we will not allow this.
02:00One second, Mr. Briwal, allow me to hold you, allow me to come in.
02:05And the reason, Mr. Briwal, I'm coming in is because you say you are not, your party is not speaking
02:11for the Election Commission of India.
02:13But that's not quite true.
02:14Your party's social media handle has taken out multiple videos where it's the BJP that is fact-checking a newspaper
02:22report on multiple accounts.
02:23This is speaking for the ECI.
02:25Technically, this is something that the ECI needs to do and not the Bharatiya Janata Party.
02:30No, again I will tell you, because the allegation is not just on the ECI.
02:35They are directly saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party is doing all this behind the election committee.
02:41You're saying the newspaper report was directly saying that the BJP...
02:46So you're saying, Mr. Briwal, that the newspaper has alleged that the BJP is behind the ECI moves?
02:54Because it's nowhere mentioned in the story.
02:56Yet, the BJP social media handle has taken on the newspaper where you are rebutting the newspaper's report.
03:04No, whatever was there in the report, that report was again brought by some scientists like Rahul Gandhi,
03:13you know, who said that he brought hydrogen gas after announcing hydrogen bomb.
03:18So scientists like Rahul Gandhi, they were the ones who blamed and alleged everything against us.
03:23So we are responding to what they are saying.
03:25And each and every right in a political battle we have to defend ourselves.
03:35Okay, so, but that wasn't quite the case.
03:37Because, like I said, there were detailed reports which fact-checked, apparently, a news report, not any political party.
03:45Having said that, I want to bring in the Congress spokesperson, and I'm going to come back to Mr. Briwal,
03:49but I want to bring in the Congress spokesperson, Dr. Nishant Anand, into this conversation.
03:53Dr. Anand, the Congress is trying to ride on a report, trying to milk it politically,
04:00trying to put the ECI on the mat, and that is the charge by the ruling party today.
04:08Good evening to all.
04:09See, first, I'll start by saying the ECI is Election Commission of India,
04:12not Establishment of Citizens of India.
04:15The Election Commission boastful claims have been completely exposed.
04:19The Election Commission itself is deleting the votes of young people.
04:24The Election Commission itself is manipulating the data inside its own portal.
04:28The Election Commission itself is stripping away the powers of SDMs and Taishildas,
04:33who serve as electoral registration officers.
04:36The Election Commission itself is violating the law of the country.
04:39So now, in an interview of the leading newspaper that we were mentioning here,
04:43published this morning again, Justice Sudanshu Dhulia,
04:47who retired from the Supreme Court last year,
04:50has re-affirmed categorically that it is not the ECI's job
04:53or constitutional responsibility to define the SIR.
04:57Citizenship is designed under the 1955 Citizen Act.
05:01An amendment has to be done by the Parliament.
05:04So the question is, they are clearly violating the Constitution.
05:09Illegally amending Form 6 to de-franchised Gen Z voters in 1960 rules
05:15cannot be changed without being amended in Parliament.
05:18The biggest point of difference between Sudanshu Joshi and Ganesh Kumar was this,
05:23that did we receive the answer today?
05:24We have not received the answer.
05:26The entire SIR is based on a Form 6.
05:29That was changed illegally.
05:30The SIR that aroused from that illegal form has also been illegal,
05:35has become illegal.
05:36This is what we are trying to say.
05:38The elections held in Bengal and Bihar,
05:41based on that illegal SIR,
05:43has also become illegal.
05:46Rahul Gandhi-ji held a press conference in July 2025
05:49on irregularities in the voter list.
05:53The quick election commissioner jumped into it
05:55and he gave us the ultimatum of 48 hours to apologize.
05:59How dare he?
06:00Today he is hiding since last five days.
06:03The election commission officer is acting like a dictator for the BJP.
06:07Narendra Modi and Amish Chah.
06:09They are taking this decision without consulting his fellow commissioners
06:12or considering the views.
06:14Ganesh Kumar does not have any moral authority to continue as a chief election officer.
06:22One second, I am going to come back.
06:23One second, Dr. Anand, just hold your horses.
06:25Hold your thought.
06:28Mr. Ibrahwal, what were you saying?
06:31I said, I hope you've got the answer as to why we are responding.
06:34In his last statement, what did he again say?
06:36That it is Amish Chah, it is the BJP who is behind election commission.
06:40So that is why we are speaking for ourselves.
06:42Now, when he was talking about form 6 and alteration,
06:46I will say that this is nothing but trying to deceive people.
06:50The election commission...
06:52Okay, one second.
06:54I want to keep the politics out of it.
06:55One second.
06:56Can I just get Ms. Ibrahwal back into this conversation?
06:59Ms. Ibrahwal, keep the politics out of it.
07:03The fact is, once again, the rebuttals that have come from your party have come on a news report.
07:08I will go back now to what...
07:10You know, politics is part and parcel of the game
07:12and you have every right to go behind your political opponents, which is the principal opposition here and answer them
07:18in whichever way you deem fit.
07:19But I will come back to the news report and I will come back to the issues that were raised
07:23in the news report, which your party has tried to rebut, fact by fact, where they think that they are
07:28rebutting the news report and they have fact-checked it.
07:30I will come back to some of the issues instead of getting into rhetorics that were raised in the report,
07:36Mr. Ibrahwal.
07:37The EC, just two days ago, has come out and pretty much accepted a couple of issues that were raised
07:43in that news report where they have now said that they will go back to the Form 6.
07:46You and I both know that Form 6 is sacrosanct and can only be changed by changing a regulation of
07:531960, which happens by the government and cannot be done by the EC.
07:56So therefore, the EC somewhere down the line has admitted that they did change Form 6, that they did change
08:03Form 6 and now they are going back.
08:05Let me ask you a question, Mr. Ibrahwal, because you come from the state of West Bengal, where your party
08:10has won from a massive landslide and it's a historic verdict.
08:15One of the issues that has been raised and still has no answer to is the sheer fact of the
08:2016.1 lakh voters on which there have been appeals that have been filed by the EC that they should
08:26be removed.
08:26The EC in itself has no idea who filed these appeals and the EC, Mr. Sandhu, has gone on record
08:34to say that the EC, he has no idea who has filed these reports.
08:39Yet it is filed by the EC and there is no answer coming in from the Election Commission of India
08:42on that.
08:44Now again, this question which you are asking me, you are supposed to ask the Election Commission, that why they
08:49have no idea on that.
08:51This is a direct question to the Election Commission and not to me. How would I know?
08:54Now, again, coming back to the Form 6 which you were saying.
08:58Ma'am, because your party has been fact-checking that news report. That's why I'm asking you.
09:08So, you can't, you know, just blame me for certain things and then keep the other side.
09:14Either you blame me completely.
09:17You are saying that I am not supposed to answer or speak about the Election Commission yet.
09:21Ma'am, what am I, I'm not blaming you at all.
09:24Mr. Brehwal, I'm not blaming you at all.
09:27All I'm saying is there have been certain issues that have been raised in that news report which your party
09:31is fact-checking online.
09:33So, therefore, I'm asking you the question because this particular question has not been addressed by a political party.
09:39Yet, you have, in the EC itself, two days ago, has admitted that now they will go back to the
09:45old Form 6, which is pretty much admitting to what the news report was.
09:49Election Commission is supposed to answer this because the entire proceeding is also before the Supreme Court.
09:54So, do you agree that, Ma'am, do you agree then, then, Mr. Brehwal, do you agree that Prima Faisai,
10:00the news report, raises questions that the Election Commission needs to answer?
10:04Do you agree on that account?
10:07See, Election Commission, that's a press conference, answers the questions or they do not wish to answer the questions.
10:14It is completely their prerogative and we are not supposed to ask them or guide them to do anything.
10:20But when questions and fingers will be raised on us, we will answer that.
10:25But as the principal party in power, would you not recommend, because you yourself said that this question that I
10:32just raised, the Election Commission needs to answer.
10:35But the Election Commission hasn't answered.
10:37So, a party that is in power, do you think it's responsible for the BJP to ask the Election Commission
10:42to answer this question, Ma'am?
10:44As a principal party, when I am answering the allegations which are, I mean, directly upon us, then you are
10:51saying that we are talking about the Election Commission, we are speaking on behalf of the Election Commission.
10:55Right, so how can I guide the Election Commission what to do and what not to do?
10:59Again, I would say, if there is any fault, it is the Supreme Court who is supposed to guide them
11:03and not we.
11:06He is saying that district magistrates and others were used and they are not supposed to be used.
11:10Again, I will say, in Bengal, under Supreme Court's guidance, district magistrates were asked to do certain jobs, which they
11:16did.
11:17We or the Election Commission didn't ask them to do.
11:20That was ordered by the Supreme Court.
11:26Madam, that still doesn't answer the question that I asked you, but now you are saying it's for the EC2
11:30answer, yet your party has gone online to fact-check this very report.
11:34I just want to bring in the Congress spokesperson in midst of all of this, Dr. Ranand.
11:38Why shouldn't it be charged that your party is only trying to create more chaos than seek answers by trying
11:45to milk it politically?
12:09Dr. Ranand, Dr. Ranand, can I ask you a question at the back of it?
12:15Yes, please.
12:15If your leader is so sure that successive elections have been compromised under the Election Commission of India, this is
12:24a charge that you are making.
12:25And if you are so sure of it, then why do you participate in the process of this election?
12:30Then put your money where your mouth is, boycott the elections.
12:34You wouldn't do that.
12:35Yet you will continue to criticize the process.
12:39Priti, we are a political party.
12:40Priti, we need to understand if now we are living in Delhi with an AQI of 400 or 500, we
12:47can't stop bothering.
12:48Because tomorrow, BJP will say, if you can't breathe, leave the country.
12:51We have to fight with this corrupt government.
12:53See, I have to make four points.
12:55Please allow me.
12:56Gyanesh Kumar does not have any moral authority to continue as the Chief Election Commissioner.
13:01Point number one, 13 crore voters have been removed under the SIR.
13:05The BJP mentioned on their Twitter today, 2.8 crores were deceased voters.
13:10Okay, fair enough.
13:11What about the remaining 10 crore voters?
13:13And if 2.8 crore dead people are still on the rolls, what are the annual summary revisions since 2014?
13:20Should it have completed?
13:22Is the BGP admitting that it has failed for years to maintain electoral rolls properly?
13:28If not, where did the other 10.2 crore names go?
13:33He should resign without any delay.
13:35The ECI has shot itself in the foot.
13:38I need to close the debate.
13:39I want to bring in Ms. Tibriwal back into this conversation.
13:41Ms. Tibriwal, for...
13:44When there was rigging, when there were elections...
13:47Madam, you are right in raising every question from the past.
13:50Then the Election Commission was doing a proper job.
13:52No, Mr. Tibriwal, you have every right to raise the questions that you are raising.
13:56But...
13:59No, Madam, the question is very clear.
14:01Once again, keep the politics out of it.
14:03As a citizen of this country, as somebody who represents the ruling party,
14:06I want to ask you once again a very clear question.
14:08Should the EC not come out and answer the questions which you yourself are having doubts answering?
14:15Shouldn't the EC come out and clear the air?
14:19Now again, I will again say that what the Election Commission is supposed to do, I will not tell them.
14:24But then again, if the Congress is so sure about what is happening,
14:29they should give the entire allegation in writing to the Election Commission.
14:34Not just that, they should write everything before the Supreme Court
14:37and ask for a reply before the Supreme Court.
14:40Let the Election Commission go and reply in the court.
14:46All right, okay, we are going to leave it at that.
14:48Right now, you know, I think there's a glaring news report that beckons answers.
14:53Until now, the Election Commission of India has pretty much dodged answering any of those questions.
14:58A few of them, yes, they were addressed in a detailed press release by the Election Commission of India
15:04with a picture of both the CEC and the other two ECs.
15:08Yet there are certain answers that still remain unanswered.
15:13I appreciate both panelists for joining me because politics is going to continue.
15:17But as citizens of this country, viewers, we deserve answers.