The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on a petition challenging the Special Intensive Revision, or SIR, of electoral rolls in India. The petition also contests the deletion of voters' names during the revision process.
The case was brought by Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut, Communist Party of India leader D Raja and some other leaders are also among the petitioners.
What the Supreme Court said
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Suryakant and Justice Joymala heard the matter. The bench directed that notice be served on the Election Commission and the Chief Election Commissioner, while also linking the petition with cases that are already pending.
The court clarified that issuing notice does not amount to criticism or condemnation of any party. It also said that one petitioner would be asked to explain their conduct at the next hearing, without identifying that petitioner during the proceedings described in the report.
The court said the notice concerning one of the petitioners would be accepted temporarily, subject to that person providing an explanation about their conduct. The source material does not identify the petitioner involved or specify the conduct under examination.
What the petition seeks
The opposition leaders have asked for an independent committee comprising retired judges and experts. They want the committee to audit names removed during the SIR process.
The petition also seeks directions preventing the deletion of any person's name without prior notice and an opportunity for a hearing. Another request concerns people eligible to vote in states due to hold elections. The petition asks that such people be allowed to have their names added to the electoral roll until the legally prescribed final date.
These requests place the focus on how electoral-roll revisions are conducted and on the safeguards available to people whose names may be removed. The court's notice gives the Election Commission and its chief election commissioner an opportunity to respond to the issues raised in the petition.
Opposition protests in Delhi
The court proceedings followed continued protests by the INDIA alliance in Delhi. The demonstrations began on 6 October, with opposition MPs led by Rahul Gandhi holding a march on the first day and a sit-in on the next day.
Political parties continued their demonstrations after those initial actions. Rahul Gandhi has also said that preparations were under way for larger protests, although he declined to disclose details publicly.
The petition and the protests are therefore connected by the opposition's challenge to the SIR process and the removal of names from electoral rolls. The immediate legal development is the Supreme Court's request for responses, while the next hearing is expected to address the explanation sought from one petitioner.
Conclusion
The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Election Commission and Gyanesh Kumar on the opposition leaders' challenge to SIR and voter-name deletions. The petition also seeks an independent audit and safeguards requiring notice and a hearing before names are removed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What did the Supreme Court seek?
The court sought responses from the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on the petition.
Q. What is the petition challenging?
It challenges the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and the deletion of voters' names.
Q. Who is among the petitioners?
Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Saugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Supriya Sule, Sanjay Raut and D Raja are among those named.
Q. What committee have the petitioners requested?
They have requested an independent committee made up of retired judges and experts to audit names removed during the SIR process.
Q. What safeguard does the petition seek before a name is deleted?
It asks that no name be removed without notice and an opportunity for a hearing.
Q. What did the court say about one petitioner?
The court said one petitioner would be asked to explain their conduct at the next hearing, although that person was not identified in the supplied material.
Q. When did the Delhi protests begin?
The protests began on 6 October, according to the supplied report.
Q. What further protest plans were mentioned?
Rahul Gandhi said preparations were under way for larger protests but did not publicly disclose their details.
