New Delhi, October 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday said free and fair elections were essential for a functioning democracy and that the Supreme Court should examine any alleged violation of the Constitution.
Joshi was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 21st FICCI Higher Education Summit in New Delhi amid the ongoing political controversy over the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The summit is being held at Bharat Mandapam on October 8-9.
Asked about the Opposition’s demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations concerning deletion of genuine voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Joshi said democracy ultimately depends on fair elections, accountable governments and transparent administration.
“Government of the people, for the people and by the people, shall not perish from the earth, provided the elections are fair, the governments are accountable, and the bureaucracy is transparent,” he said.
Joshi said the Opposition had an important role in a democratic system and stressed that political functioning should remain within the constitutional framework.
“The Opposition is responsive and responsible, and has a clear-cut alternative programme. The whole thing is to be done under the ambit of the Constitution, and if the Constitution is violated, then the Supreme Court should look into it. That is the principle on which democracy should work,” he said.
His comments came amid continuing legal and political scrutiny of the ECI’s functioning and the SIR exercise. The Supreme Court has recently sought responses from the ECI and the Centre over a plea alleging that CEC Gyanesh Kumar took certain decisions unilaterally, without the approval of the other Election Commissioners. The court has not passed an interim order against the CEC.
On the National Education Policy, Joshi said it was too early to assess its full impact as the policy had not been implemented for a sufficiently long period.
“As the new education policy hasn’t been in place for long, this is still under consideration. It’s still underway, so what can we say about it at this stage? This is just the beginning. Its consequences will be known later,” he said.
The former Union Education Minister also spoke about student protests, saying their legitimate concerns should be heard with sensitivity and that force was not an appropriate way to resolve such issues.
“The legitimate demands of students should always be heard and should be heard with a great deal of sympathy. The method of using batons is not appropriate. You can never find a solution this way. If there are problems, listen to them. They are our children,” Joshi said.
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