New Delhi: On Monday, CNN-IBN had reported how the Election Commission of India was divided over issuing a notice to Congress President Sonia Gandhi.
Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalswamy and his two fellow commissioners, who are responsible for maintaining the spirit of democracy, had an intense debate among themselves before finally deciding to serve a notice to Sonia.
The notice is for accepting the Belgium's highest civilian award, the Order of Leopold, in November 2006.
While the award was – in and by itself – perfectly innocuous, it was the rider with it that the EC objects to – Sonia Gandhi had to sign her allegiance to the Belgian government.
This matter was raised when a complaint from a Kerala-based lawyer to former President APJ Abdul Kalam had ended up getting forwarded to the Election Commission.
A series of meetings had led only to an acrimonious debate and no results.
The Chief Election Commissioner is believed to be the one in favour of serving the notice.
While one of his deputies supported him, the other, Naveen Chawla, felt the issue was too frivolous.
Chawla’s contention is that the award had been given to statesmen like former US president Dwight D Eisenhower and Yugoslav leader Joseph Tito.
The Congress is dismissive of the issue.
"The argument is ridiculous," stated Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi.
Ever since Naveen Chawla took over as the election commissioner, there have been several instances where the Chief Election Commissioner and Chawla have not seen eye to eye with each other, whether its issuing a notice to Sonia or deciding when the Karnataka elections should be held.
Over the past year, the BJP has questioned the Election Commission's neutrality on many occasions.
The fractured verdict on serving a notice to Sonia will only give further ammunition for the Opposition.
With inputs by Achyuth Punnekat
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