Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi wants parliament to monitor EC, CBI & ED
Gogoi said that there should be select committees in the parliament to review their action and ensure their transparency.
Gogoi said that there should be select committees in the parliament to review their action and ensure their transparency.
Gogoi said that there should be select committees in the parliament to review their action and ensure their transparency.
Kochi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) and investigating agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation, Directorate of Enforcement (ED) should be brought under the oversight of the parliament, said Congress MP and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi. The MP from Assam's Jorhat constituency also demanded the constitution of parliamentary select committees to review their actions and ensure their transparency.
He was speaking on the topic ‘Opposition: Taken Seriously?’, at the Manorama News Conclave 2025 at the Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre in Kochi on Friday.
“In other countries, parliaments do have that power. Our parliament needs to be even more powerful than it is. If a particular select committee of parliament can appoint the chief election commissioner (CEC), why not another select committee review his actions? We can evolve the Indian parliament through select specific powerful committees, so that they have the oversight over agencies like CBI, ED and even the National Security Advisor,” Gogoi said.
Gogoi also slammed the Election Commission for not initiating an inquiry into the allegations raised by Gandhi over the ‘missing voters’ in Bihar’s electoral roll.
“We have taken the data from the website of the election commission and given it to them. When serious allegations are brought forward, they are expected to do some form of inquiry, come up with facts and then say the allegations raised by Rahul Gandhi are false. Instead of announcing an inquiry, they are asking us why Rahul Gandhi is not filing an affidavit and want to divert attention from the real issue. The ECI owes to the citizens of India a thorough inquiry into the allegations,” he said.
Gogoi also took a jibe at Home Minister Amit Shah, who inaugurated the conclave. Referring to how difficult it is for the Opposition to get answers from the government in the parliament, Gogoi said that he was ‘jealous’ of journalists who organise such conclaves where ‘powerful ministers’ patiently sit and answer all their questions.
“I am quite jealous of conclaves such as yours. You bring all the powerful ministers here and make them answer all your questions. They cannot deny answers to your questions, stating that you are not raising questions under the ‘right motions’. They cannot bring the marshals to push you out of the parliament and they cannot suspend you journalists like they do with the MPs,” Gogoi said.
He also said the Congress party will form the government in Assam and Kerala in the upcoming assembly polls. “The people of both states want a change and a new vision. The Congress party in Kerala is extremely organised in terms of village-level presence,” he said.