Cong expresses 'deep concern' over election commissioner Arun Goel's resignation
New Delhi, Mar 10: The Congress on Saturday expressed "deep concern" over Election Commissioner Arun Goel's resignation, alleging that there is absolutely "no transparency" in how a constitutional institution like the Election Commission has been functioning and the manner in which the government "pressures" it.
Goel resigned on Saturday, days before the expected announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. His tenure was till December 5, 2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired in February next year.
Congress general secretary organisation K C Venugopal said in a post on X, "It is deeply concerning for the health of the world's largest democracy that Election Commissioner Mr. Arun Goel has resigned on the cusp of the Lok Sabha elections."
There is absolutely "no transparency" in how a constitutional institution like the ECI has been functioning and the manner in which the government pressures it, he said.
During the 2019 elections, Ashok Lavasa had dissented against a clean chit to the PM for violating the Model Code of Conduct, he said.
"Later, he faced relentless inquiries. This attitude shows the regime is hellbent on destroying democratic traditions. This must be explained, and the ECI must be completely non-partisan at all times," Venugopal said.
According to a law ministry notification, Goel's resignation has been accepted by President Droupadi Murmu with effect from Saturday. It was not immediately known why he stepped down.
Goel, a retired bureaucrat, was a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. He had joined the Election Commission in November 2022.
Following the retirement of Anup Chandra Pandey in February and Goel's resignation, the three-member EC has now only one member, CEC Rajiv Kumar.
It is deeply concerning for the health of the world’s largest democracy that Election Commissioner Mr. Arun Goel has resigned on the cusp of the Lok Sabha elections.
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) March 9, 2024
There is absolutely no transparency in how a constitutional institution like the ECI has been functioning and the…
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Operation Sindoor: Indian strikes kill Masood Azhar’s 10 family members, 4 aides; Report
New Delhi: Ten family members and four close aides of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Maulana Masood Azhar were killed in missile strikes carried out by Indian armed forces under ‘Operation Sindoor’, according to a statement released by Azhar.
The admission came through a statement issued by Azhar and reported by BBC Urdu and PTI on Wednesday, a day after India launched Operation Sindoor, its targeted retaliation to the Pahalgam massacre.
The strikes targeted nine terror-linked sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including the JeM headquarters Markaz Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur. Azhar’s elder sister and her husband, and his nephew and his wife, were among those killed.
The operation also hit key compounds associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, including Markaz Abbas in Kotli, Syedna Bilal camp in Muzaffarabad, Markaz Taiba in Murdike, and camps in Barnala, Shwawai Nalla, Sialkot, among others. Four of the sites were located in Pakistan and five in PoK.
Reacting to the attack, Azhar said, “Is zulm ne saaray zabtay tor diye hain. Ab koi reham ki umeed na rakhe” — meaning “This cruelty has broken all boundaries. Now, no one should expect mercy.”
Indian Air Force officials confirmed the precision night raids were aimed at dismantling terror infrastructure.
