'Centre wants to control EC': Cong asks govt to defer decision on new CEC till SC hearing
New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI): The Congress on Monday asked the government to defer its decision on the new chief election commissioner till the Supreme Court hearing on a petition challenging the constitution of the selection panel.
The Congress' side was put forth by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi during the meeting of the selection panel chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said.
The meeting took place at the South Block office of the prime minister. Home Minister Amit Shah is the third member of the selection panel.
Addressing a press conference soon after the meeting, Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi said that by removing the chief justice of India from the selection committee, the government has made it clear it wants control and not to preserve the credibility of the Election Commission.
Singhvi did not disclose anything on what transpired in the meeting apart from saying that Gandhi attended it.
The selection committee is learnt to have recommended the name of the next CEC to President Droupadi Murmu, sources said on Monday.
The sources in the government said the notification announcing the name of the next CEC could be issued "in the next few hours".
Incumbent CEC Rajiv Kumar demits office on Tuesday on attaining the age of 65 years.
At the presser, Singhvi said, "It is necessary that a transparent, balanced, impartial decision should be taken, which is in the public interest, and in the interest of democracy. Which can create a level playing field, which is in the foundation of our republic. This is the stand of Congress."
He said the case challenging the new act to appoint the CEC and other ECs is currently pending before the Supreme Court which has issued a notice, and the matter is now listed for next hearing on February 19.
It was just a matter of 48 hours and the government should have approached the apex court for an early hearing of the petition, he said.
"It was our suggestion that the Central government adjourn this meeting until after the hearing and instruct its counsels to appear and assist the court so that the hearing may be an effective one. Only then, can a decision be taken in earnest," Singhvi said.
He said the executive has the right to form law, but added that the Modi government brought the CEC and Other Election Commissioners Bill, 2023 in a rush, without understanding the spirit of the judgment.
"This Law did just the opposite, it had provision for selection totally by executive," he said.
"By removing or trying to keep CJI out of the appointment process as an independent entity, the government has made it clear they want only control but not credibility..." he added.
मोदी सरकार मुख्य चुनाव आयुक्त के चयन के लिए 2023 में जो नया कानून- The Chief Election Commissioner And Other Election Commissioners Act लेकर आई है, इसे सुप्रीम कोर्ट में चुनौती दी गई है।
— Congress (@INCIndia) February 17, 2025
अभी तक सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने इसे लेकर 3 आर्डर पास किए हैं और अगली सुनवाई 19 फरवरी के आस पास होनी… pic.twitter.com/wc0E9sgVuE
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Deepfake video of Nirmala Sitharaman used to dupe Belagavi man in Rs 7.9 lakh scam
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): A 76-year-old man in Belagavi city was allegedly cheated of Rs 7.9 lakh in an online investment scam that used an AI-generated deepfake video misusing the name of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to lure investors, police said on Wednesday.
An online fraud case was registered at the cybercrime police station on May 1, they said.
According to Belagavi Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase, the victim, Prakash Gubbi, a senior citizen, stated in his complaint that in November last year, he came across a video on YouTube in which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman appeared to endorse an investment scheme.
The video also mentioned a link in its description for making investments.
The victim clicked on the link, entered his details, and was later contacted on social media by a person identifying himself as Adarsh Anand, who persuaded him to invest, the officer told reporters.
Citing the complaint, the officer said the victim initially invested a small amount, after which the application began showing profits of USD 65,000.
When he attempted to withdraw the amount, the accused demanded a “customs duty” payment of Rs 4.2 lakh, claiming it was required to process the withdrawal.
The victim paid the amount, after which he was asked to pay an additional Rs 2 lakh. It was at this stage that he realised he had been cheated. In total, he lost around Rs 7.9 lakh in the fraud, the officer added.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, and police are investigating the matter, police said.
The commissioner cautioned the public not to trust such videos, stating that the finance minister does not endorse any such schemes.
He warned that such content is created using artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.
He further advised the public to remain vigilant, avoid offers that appear too good to be true on the internet, and invest only through legitimate, registered agencies or trusted channels.
Deepfake technology enables the creation of realistic videos, audio recordings, and images that can mislead viewers by superimposing one person’s likeness onto another, altering their words and actions. This can present a false narrative or spread misinformation.
