Malicious narratives being spread using our video footage: Election Commission

New Delhi: Fearing use of its electronic data to create "malicious narratives", the Election Commission has instructed its state poll officers to destroy CCTV camera, webcasting and video footage of the election process after 45 days, if the verdict is not challenged in courts within that period.

In a letter to state chief electoral officers on May 30, the EC said it has issued instructions for recording various stages of the election process through multiple recording devices -- photography, videography, CCTV, and webcasting during the election process.

While electoral laws do not mandate such recordings, the commission uses them as an internal management tool during various stages of the electoral process.

"However, the recent misuse of this content by non-contestants for spreading misinformation and malicious narratives on social media by selective and out-of-context use of such content, which will not lead to any legal outcome, has prompted a review," it said.

It has now told its state poll chiefs that the CCTV data, webcasting data and photography of election processes at various stages will be preserved for 45 days.

"If no election petition is filed in respect of a particular constituency, then the said data may be destroyed," it instructed.

Any person can file an "election petition" challenging the poll verdict in the concerned high court within 45 days.

In December last year, the government tweaked an election rule to prevent public inspection of certain electronic documents, such as CCTV camera and webcasting footage, as well as video recordings of candidates, to prevent their misuse.

Based on the recommendation of the EC, the Union law ministry amended Rule 93 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, to restrict the type of papers or documents open to public inspection.