New Delhi: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has written to the Election Commission, expressing its fears about a free and fair vote count on June 4.
SKM, which represents 500 farmer unions and by extension, approximately 10 crore farmers and their families across India, has said in a strongly worded letter to the EC:
“On behalf of the farmers across India, we wish to bring to your kind attention our apprehension about any eventuality of tampering with the counting process scheduled for June 4, 2024, to subvert the people’s verdict and help the present regime cling to power.”
Reminding the Commission of its historic protest at the borders of Delhi in 2020-2021, it said:
“The 13 month-long massive farmers’ struggle against the three corporate farm Acts – with the active support of the trade unions and other sections – witnessed the sacrifice of more than 750 farmers’ lives as well as the heinous murder of four farmers and a journalist by and at the behest of the current regime. The BJP had spewed venom abusing the farmers as anti-nationals, funded by foreign terrorists and Khalistanis.”
“Unlike in past elections, the farmers of India have directly opposed the election campaign of the BJP in protest against its gross betrayal of the farmers in failing to implement the MSP (minimum support price) as promised to waive farmer loans.”
The SKM also brought Modi’s vituperative campaign to the EC’s notice:
“During the election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top BJP leaders continuously violated the Model Code of Conduct and the Constitution of India by consistently daring to make hate speeches against the principal minority community. They deliberately used indecent language with the aims of destroying the harmonious social life of our great people and dividing the farmers, workers and the people at large along communal lines. This onslaught was on the constitutional principle of secularism – the foundation of pluralism and unity of the people – that has cemented our Republic for the last 77 years and served as a model to the entire world”.
SKM also reminded the EC that it had publicly requested it twice to take punitive action against those who have violated the Model Code of Conduct – including Modi – and put a six-year ban on them from contesting elections.
“Unfortunately, the EC showed its reticence, delayed action, and finally concluded by merely ‘giving advice’ to the law-breakers. Thus, the failure of EC in upholding constitutional responsibility allowed BJP’s divisive ideology to prevail and influence the people at large during the election.”
“The soft handling and resultant failure to restrain the prime minister has lent serious doubts in the minds of the people at large about the entire election process being a ‘favour’ to the BJP in its efforts to hang on to power.”
While lauding the restraint of the minority communities and the opposition parties in the face of great provocation, the SKM did not mince words in castigating the EC’s lack of transparency:
“The EC did not ensure transparency in conducting press briefings and providing poll data, and there were serious discrepancies in the provided data. Later, the EC released constituency-wise data of votes polled after the entire issue had been brought to the attention of the Supreme Court. This was never the conduct of the EC in the past.”
Expressing concern about the use of state machinery to silence the opposition, it said
“The caretaker government, without prior permission of the EC, arrested the elected chief minister of Delhi so as to incapacitate the opposition pre-poll alliance. Later, the Supreme Court of India provided interim bail to the Delhi chief minister. The bank accounts of the political parties in the opposition were suspended. In both the incidents, the EC was silent. The police and Intelligence Bureau also targeted the farmer leaders of Punjab for protesting peacefully against BJP.”
“The removal of the Chief Justice of India from the committee to appoint the members of the Election Commission of India had been morally incorrect.”
Stating that it did not want the EC to give the farmers and the people of the country any reason to believe that their popular mandate has been undermined by any element of unfair conduct in any constituency, it requested the poll body to:
“Ensure free and transparent counting as per the procedure.
Share the exact details of the votes periodically with the public as warranted by rules in order to dispense any doubts on manipulation.
Check all violations with strict and strong action against those involved.
Notify all election returning officers about the concerns of the farmers of India.”
Note: Portions of this letter have been lightly edited for clarity.
Rohit Kumar is an educator, author and independent journalist and can be reached at [email protected]