New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Thursday said that elections in a true democracy must be conducted fairly and stressed that the Supreme Court should take cognisance if there is any violation of the Constitution.

Joshi made the remarks while speaking to the media on the sidelines of the 21st FICCI Higher Education Summit 2026 in New Delhi, amid the ongoing political controversy surrounding the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Asked about the Opposition’s demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over allegations that genuine voters were being deleted from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, Joshi said the functioning of a 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 further said that the Opposition has a role to play in a democratic system and stressed, “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.”

The Opposition has raised questions over the process and demanded accountability from the Election Commission, while the issue has become a prominent point of political contention.

The former Education Minister was also asked about the New Education Policy (NEP) and its likely impact on students. He said that since the policy had not been in operation for a sufficiently long period, it was too early to assess its full impact.

“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,” Joshi said.

The veteran leader also spoke about student protests and said that the government should listen carefully to the concerns and legitimate demands of students. He emphasised that dialogue and sensitivity were necessary to resolve such issues rather than the use of force.

“The matter of protests is separate. 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.

–IANS

sd/skp