New Delhi: Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr. S.Y. Quraishi on Friday while questioning the legality of airing Exit Polls, said they should be shown only on entertainment channels.
"I have always said (even when in office !) that opinion and exit polls should be shown only on entertainment channels!", he said in a message posted on Twitter.
I have always said (even when in office !) that opinion and exit polls should be shown only on entertainment channels! https://t.co/lnGMVTqadJ
— Dr. S.Y. Quraishi (@DrSYQuraishi) December 14, 2017
In a series of messages posted on Twitter, Dr Quraishi said Exit Polls are illegal and they should not be aired and discussed the way tv channels do.
In another tweet, he also posted the Gazette notification related to the said amendment in the Representation of People’s act.Do you know exit polls are illegal ! Under the Representation of People Act “conduct” and “dissemination” of exit polls are banned. How were these CONDUCTED in the first place?
— Dr. S.Y. Quraishi (@DrSYQuraishi) December 14, 2017
When television journalist Nidhi Razdan questioned his logic saying "Even after polling is over? Why?”, Dr Quraishi replied with another tweet, saying, "Sec 126 of the The RP Act was amended in 2008 by Parliament ( not EC). It banned both the conduct and dissemination of exit polls. When were these conducted? When the voters were coming out of polling booths when the elections were in full swing.”
Dr S Y Quraishi was appointed the chief election commissioner in 2010. He became the first Muslim to head the election commission. He has written a book on elections titled 'An Undocumented Wonder - the Making of the Great Indian Election', detailing the complexities of election process in India.
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