New Delhi: In the backdrop of the
controversy over his remarks about the administrative control
of the Election Commission, Law Minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday
said the Commission was completely autonomous as far as the
conduct of elections was concerned.
"There are certain areas that, under the law, remain
under different ministries. As far as the election process is
concerned and the Chief Election Commissioner is concerned,
it`s entirely autonomous, independent," he said.
Khurshid had recently said in a TV interview that the
Law Ministry has control over the Election Commission to the
extent that it signs documents related to travel of the
Election Commissioners.
He was talking in the context of Team Anna`s objection to
CBI being retained under government control under the Lokpal
Bill when he had said "every institution is under some
control".
Khurshid`s remarks had ruffled feathers in the EC whose
chief SY Quraishi complained in a letter about them to Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
Taking strong exception to these comments, Quraishi has
complained to the Prime Minister that Khurshid had allegedly
tried to undermine the authority of the Election Commission
which is a Constitutional body.
Khurshid also said today that the Election Commission`s
recommendations were consulted in all matters related to
electoral reforms.
"When something has to be done, we go by their
recommendations. Their recommendations are considered and will
be considered when we start working on electoral reforms on
which they have done an enormous amount of work," he said.
PTI
