New Delhi, 25 September—Even as popular anger over Election Commission’s misdeed grows, the battle over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has moved from Election Commission files to the streets of Delhi, with Jantar Mantar heavily barricaded on Friday as activists, students and political leaders made an valiant attempt to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
On Friday, the police action effectively turned the designated protest zone into a security cordon. NSUI workers protesting on the road towards the Election Commission office were removed by the police, while Left leaders and other protesters were stopped behind barricades.
CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, activist Yogendra Yadav and other protesters were reportedly detained. AISA national president Neha was also among those detained from Jantar Mantar, as told by protesters to The Tribune.
The immediate trigger is the demand for Kumar’s resignation, but the confrontation goes beyond one office-holder.
The reported objections inside the three-member Commission have put the spotlight on a fundamental question of who ultimately controls decisions affecting a citizen’s entry into, removal from or restoration on the electoral roll. Concerns have been raised over the centralised control of electoral-roll data and instances where officials’ decisions could not be recorded through the software.
That makes the Delhi Police response politically significant as well as operationally sensitive. The street protest is now testing the space available for citizens, civil-society groups and political organisations to challenge an electoral process whose legality and internal decision-making are themselves under public scrutiny.
The momentum got intensified after the CJP demanded Kumar’s resignation within 48 hours and threatened a nationwide agitation and a fresh Jantar Mantar mobilisation if he did not step down.
Meanwhile noted Author Amitav Ghosh has also backed the CJP’s demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Kumar pointing out to the deletion of a huge number of names from electoral rolls across the country in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“The whole world should be paying attention to what is happening in India right now. Computer programs have been used to systematically remove huge numbers of voters from the electoral rolls. But India’s Gen Z has cottoned on and the tide is turning,” Ghosh said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
In yet another parallel development. a plea has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging decisions, guidelines and software changes allegedly made by chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar without the concurrence of the two election commissioners.
The plea filed by advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi through advocate Chand Qureshi sought a direction declaring such decisions unconstitutional, beyond the powers of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and void if they were taken without the full Election Commission’s concurrence or contrary to the majority view of the poll panel.
Another advocate, Brajesh Singh, on Thursday sought statutory sanction from attorney-general R. Venkataramani to prosecute CEC Kumar for alleged contempt of the Supreme Court.
Both Singh and Tripathi cited reports in The Indian Express to argue that Gyanesh had violated the apex court’s directive that the poll panel take decisions collectively and not unilaterally.
Tripathi has also sought initiation of criminal proceedings against the CEC and other officials under provisions relating to breach of official duty.
“Divested of any statutory or constitutional immunity, the Chief Election Commissioner remains directly accountable under the law — subject to police investigation, evidence gathering, and regular trial proceedings as an ordinary accused,” the plea read.
The plea was filed days after The Indian Express’s investigative reports revealed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded written objections to several decisions allegedly taken in the name of the three-member Election Commission (EC).
Tripathi has relied on the provisions of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, particularly Section 18, which provides for decision-making by the EC and says that where there is a difference of opinion, the view of the majority prevails.
The plea alleged that several decisions connected with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls were taken or implemented despite objections from the other two commissioners.
One of the main issues raised is the alteration of Form 6, used by people seeking registration as voters.
Amid the ongoing controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Purnia MP Pappu Yadav also slammed Chief Election Commissioner Kumar saying that he “should be hanged.”
His comments came after a leading Indian daily reported on criticisms that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had allegedly raised internally in connection with the decisions and processes of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in recent months, IANS reported.
Notably, the poll panel has three Election Commissioners, with the CEC being the first among equals rather than the senior-most. Decisions are to be taken unanimously by all three of them, as far as possible.
Claiming that he is supported by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Yadav said that impeachment should be initiated against him
He further asked the Opposition parties across the country to unite and boycott all the elections until Gyanesh Kumar resigns. In every situation, the elections in Bihar, Assam and Bengal should be cancelled,” he stated.
“They have committed an injustice against 13 crore people in Bengal, Bihar and Assam. How can they be allowed to go? Rahul Gandhi and I have been fighting since childhood. Everyone has the right to fight and speak, and everyone is welcome. We welcome all those who come forward against Gyanesh, whom I call a murderer of democracy. Everyone should come together on one platform and fight for the death penalty and a treason case against someone like Gyanesh,” he said.
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