Twitter: @the_news_21
Mumbai: The five judge Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court wanting to see files related to the recent appointment of Arun Goel, a former bureaucrat, as the Election Commissioner to the Election Commission of India (ECI) is a welcome sign. Many questions arose as to why this important appointment was made in such a hurry, remarked Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief spokesperson Clyde Crasto.
In a statement issued here on Thursday, the NCP chief spokesperson said that the Apex court’s observation that it would have been appropriate if the appointment was not made when the bench was hearing petitions seeking an independent mechanism to appoint Election Commissioners and recommendations in reforms in the process of appointment of EC members is a very pertinent observation. Crasto added that, the question once answered by the centre will bring to light why Arun Goel, a sitting Secretary in Government of India and not a retired person (which is the usual norm) was given voluntary retirement and immediately made the Election Commissioner.
Doubts have been raised lately on the functioning of the Election Commission and the appointments made in this manner will surely cast further aspersions on the same. The Supreme Court asking for files and showing unhappiness of appointment during hearing of petitions restores our faith in our judiciary, added Crasto.
The ECI is an independent body and if doubts are raised on its functionality due to external influence, then it is time that this body is made to work with transparency and the Supreme Court’s intervention will surely make it happen.
