The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Thursday, October 15, a petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others challenging alleged voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The petition raises concerns over the removal of names from electoral rolls during the revision exercise and seeks judicial scrutiny of alleged procedural irregularities that the petitioners contend could affect eligible citizens' voting rights.
The hearing comes amid a widening political controversy over the SIR exercise, with Opposition parties and student organisations demanding greater transparency and accountability from the Election Commission of India.
๐ฃ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐
The petition, filed on October 12 by Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other INDIA bloc leaders, questions the manner in which the Election Commission exercised its powers while taking decisions concerning the SIR exercise.
The petitioners have sought production of the Commission's internal records, including files, agendas, minutes and objections recorded by Election Commissioners in relation to disputed decisions.
They have also demanded an independent audit of voter deletions and modifications, along with the publication of booth-wise details of deleted voters and reasons for their removal.
The plea seeks safeguards to ensure that eligible voters are not removed without proper notice and an opportunity to be heard. It also calls for an effective mechanism to restore the names of eligible electors who may have been wrongly excluded.
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐น๐ฎ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐
The petition was not taken up on Tuesday after the Supreme Court registry identified 14 procedural defects in the filing. These included missing authorisation documents, illegible pages and a shortfall in court fees.
The Chief Justice of India had indicated that the matter would be listed after the procedural deficiencies were addressed. According to the Supreme Court's website, the petition is now expected to come up for hearing on Thursday.
๐ข๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ
The legal challenge follows Monday's INDIA bloc march towards the Supreme Court, led by Gandhi and other senior Opposition leaders, over alleged electoral irregularities and demands for accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The Election Commission has maintained that the revision exercise is intended to ensure the accuracy of electoral rolls. The BJP has rejected allegations that the exercise is designed to disenfranchise voters.
The Supreme Court's consideration of the petition will bring renewed judicial scrutiny to the procedures adopted during the electoral roll revision and the safeguards available to citizens whose names have been deleted.
The petitioners have also sought examination of whether the disputed decisions complied with the constitutional and statutory framework governing the Election Commission, making Thursday's hearing significant for the continuing controversy over electoral roll revisions.