New Delhi:
A war of wards seems to be brewing between the Election Commission (EC) and Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid following the latter's recent comments over the poll panel.
Mr Khurshid had, in an interview to NDTV, said that the government did exercise some amount of administrative control over the EC and cited the example of the Law Ministry signing the file when an election commissioner travelled abroad. The minister was speaking in the context of the opposition as also veteran anti-graft activist Anna Hazare's reservation over the Centre holding on to the reins of control over the Central Bureau of Investigation as per the new Lokpal Bill that has been cleared in the Lok Sabha.
The poll panel clearly does not have taken too kindly to Mr Khurshid's statement. Sources in the EC have told NDTV that the comments are the wishful thinking of the minister.
"If the Law Ministry thinks it can control the Commission through foreign tours, it is sadly mistaken," sources in the EC have said, further adding, "Law Ministry serves just like a post-office...only the President approves EC foreign tours."
Sources also said that the commission has been demanding that its budget should be from the Consolidated Fund of India but it hasn't been done yet, adding that the Parliament votes for the poll panel's budget.
Mr Khurshid had, in an interview to NDTV, said that the government did exercise some amount of administrative control over the EC and cited the example of the Law Ministry signing the file when an election commissioner travelled abroad. The minister was speaking in the context of the opposition as also veteran anti-graft activist Anna Hazare's reservation over the Centre holding on to the reins of control over the Central Bureau of Investigation as per the new Lokpal Bill that has been cleared in the Lok Sabha.
The poll panel clearly does not have taken too kindly to Mr Khurshid's statement. Sources in the EC have told NDTV that the comments are the wishful thinking of the minister.
"If the Law Ministry thinks it can control the Commission through foreign tours, it is sadly mistaken," sources in the EC have said, further adding, "Law Ministry serves just like a post-office...only the President approves EC foreign tours."
Sources also said that the commission has been demanding that its budget should be from the Consolidated Fund of India but it hasn't been done yet, adding that the Parliament votes for the poll panel's budget.
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