SC issues notice to ECI on Rahul Gandhi’s plea over SIR, voter deletions

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken up a challenge by Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders to the Election Commission’s voter roll revision exercise, seeking responses from the poll body and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged mass deletions and procedural irregularities.

The petitions will be heard alongside existing cases questioning the legality of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in several states, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said on Thursday.

The court also indicated that it would examine the conduct of one of the petitioners at the next hearing, without naming the person. It clarified that the decision to seek responses did not amount to a finding against any petitioner.

Among those who approached the court are Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy and several other INDIA bloc representatives.

The proceedings come amid protests in Delhi over the SIR exercise and calls for Kumar’s resignation. The demonstrations followed a media report alleging that some decisions concerning the revision were taken without agreement from the other Election Commissioners.

Police detained several protesters over the weekend after imposing restrictions on public gatherings. Separate pleas before the Supreme Court have challenged the detentions, alleging that journalists and lawyers were also prevented from carrying out their professional duties.

Gandhi and other opposition leaders filed their challenge on October 12, seeking judicial intervention over the revision process.