EC appoints 'Newton' actor Rajkummar Rao as National Icon
New Delhi (PTI): Actor Rajkummar Rao, whose portrayal of an official tasked with conducting polls in the Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh in the Hindi film "Newton" won accolades, was on Thursday inducted as a National Icon by the Election Commission.
Facing youth and urban apathy with many preferring to stay home than turn up at polling stations to cast their votes, the EC appoints prominent Indians as national icons to motivate voters to participate in elections.
The poll panel comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel exchanged a memorandum of understanding with Rao appointing him as an EC icon.
Rao's portrayal as a principled government clerk who is determined to conduct a free-and-fair election in the Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh, overcoming the cynicism and apathy of a security officer, won accolades.
The movie won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi and was also India's nominee for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 90th Academy Awards, popularly known as Oscars.
Earlier, the EC recognised actors Pankaj Tripathi and Aamir Khan, and sportspersons such as Sachin Tendulkar, M S Dhoni and M C Mary Kom, as national icons.
VIDEO | Election Commission appoints actor @RajkummarRao as its national icon ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls in five states.#AssemblyElections2023 pic.twitter.com/FnQXVoOLq0
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 26, 2023
Actor @RajkummarRao appointed as National Icon of #ECI
— Election Commission of India #SVEEP (@ECISVEEP) October 26, 2023
From On-Screen Elections in 'Newton' to Off-Screen Voter Awareness Hero, it is “ Lights, Camera, Vote !” for #RajkummarRao Rao all the way. #ECI #RajkummarRao #NationalIcon pic.twitter.com/Wabco2nwg8
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Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
