This has reference to the editorial, “Code of misconduct” (February 22) and media reports about the Union Government trying to dilute the Election Commission of India’s power to act against the violations of the Model Code of Conduct during elections.

Everyone knows that the legal process in India is rather slow. Any effort to transfer power to act upon violation of the code from the Election Commission to the judiciary will give a free hand to the violators, because in many cases the judicial process may not be completed even as the tenure of the winning candidates who have violated the code ends.

The Right To Information Act exists as a constitutional right of the citizens deriving out of Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. But this Act was especially legislated to provide a convenient route for information-seekers without any need to judicial and/or legal process to access their constitutional right for being an informed citizenry. Various commissions having constitutional status including the Election Commission are there to ensure the early disposal of cases without involving costly, time-consuming and cumbersome judicial processes in this country.

The Election Commission should be given more powers. But it is being down-graded. This is unacceptable.