The Election Commission of India (ECI) website https://eci.gov.in/ became inaccessible for users outside India, leaving non-resident Indians puzzled. On Thursday, the ECI complied with Supreme Court directives by uploading Electoral Bond information on its site. However, Indian expatriates in various countries, including the UAE, Canada, the US, the UK, and Saudi Arabia, reported being unable to access the site.
Numerous expats, eager to review the updated data, expressed disappointment and frustration at their inability to connect to the ECI’s server. “I am intrigued that the site wouldn’t open,” said an Indian expat who preferred to remain anonymous.
N Khan, a resident of Dubai, echoed similar sentiments, stating she attempted to access the site multiple times but eventually abandoned the effort. AA from Saudi Arabia said the website isn’t opening even with a VPN.
Experts suggested that the issue might not be a technical glitch but a calculated move. Obaidullah Kazmi, Founder and CTO of the Dubai-based cybersecurity company Credo, explained that geolocation blocking techniques could have been implemented to limit access to the website based on the user’s location.
Kazmi emphasised that such measures could be used to comply with local laws, regulate digital content, and protect national security by controlling the dissemination of sensitive information.
This marks the first time that the names of corporate political donors and their beneficiaries under a controversial funding mechanism have been made public. With India’s national elections commencing on April 19, political financing has long been viewed with suspicion.
Last month, India’s highest court struck down the government’s electoral bond scheme, which facilitated anonymous political donations, deeming it unconstitutional. The ruling underscored that the scheme violated the right to information under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.