Congress has moved the Supreme Court, challenging the recent amendment to the Conduct of Election Rules, seeking its review and reversal.

The Congress party has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India, challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, which restrict citizens’ access to vital election-related records.
The party’s plea asserts that the Election Commission, a constitutional body ensuring free and fair elections, cannot unilaterally propose amendments to such an important law without public consultation and debate. It emphasizes that such actions undermine democratic processes and transparency.
The petition further argues that the amendments severely limit public access to crucial information for making the electoral process more transparent, accountable, and open to scrutiny.
The controversy stems from the Centre’s amendment of Rule 93 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, which restricts public access to specific electronic records, such as CCTV footage, webcast streams, and video recordings of candidates during the election process. The amendment aims to curb the potential misuse of electronic election records and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.
This decision by the Union law ministry was based on a recommendation by the Election Commission.
Interestingly, the amendments followed closely after a directive from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had ordered the Election Commission to provide CCTV footage, videography, and documents related to votes cast in polling stations during the recent Haryana assembly elections to advocate Mehmood Pracha. The timing of the amendments has raised questions regarding their intent and impact on public access to election data.