New Delhi, 15 October– The battle over alleged mass voter deletions in the SIR appears to culminate with the Supreme Court seeking answers from the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in the petition filed by Rahul Gandhi and 12 other opposition leaders.
The case, numbered W.P.(C) No. 001351/2026, was lodged on October 12 and formally registered by the court registry a day later, following the rectification of initial procedural defects.
While agreeing to hear the opposition’s challenge to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the court also signalled that one of the petitioners would have to explain his conduct.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the ECI and Kumar today after hearing a group of petitions by Rahul Gandhi and several other opposition leaders.
While issuing notice, the bench made it clear that agreeing to hear the petitions did not mean it had accepted the petitioners’ arguments.
It added that the notice concerning that petitioner would be accepted only provisionally until he explained his conduct at the next hearing.
“Issuing notice does not mean that we are condemning anything,” the court clarified.
Hearing various petitions related to the SIR of electoral rolls, Delhi protests, march to apex court and alleged assault on journalists and lawyers, the top court said everybody will be heard.
When some lawyers referred to the march by opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, to the Supreme Court on Monday, the bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said, “Nobody can browbeat us (judiciary)”.
The lawyers said the march was an attempt to browbeat the Supreme Court.
The petitions raise concerns over large-scale deletions from electoral rolls and alleged irregularities in the ongoing SIR exercise.
Apart from Rahul Gandhi, the petitioners include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav.
Other opposition leaders who have joined the legal challenge are Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader MA Baby, Communist Party of India leader D Raja and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Mahua Majhi.
Supriya Sule, representing the Sharadchandra Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, and Indian Union Muslim League leader Mohammed Basheer are also among the petitioners.
“We are not sitting in ivory towers. We know what statements they are making outside and what they are saying in court. We know everything,” the CJI said, when senior lawyer and BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia referred to the conduct and statements by some leaders, including Gandhi.
On Monday, the raging protests over the “vote theft” charge reached the Supreme Court’s doorstep.
Opposition stalwarts, joined by activists and civil society members, undertook a “March for Democracy” and filed a joint petition against SIR and alleged poll irregularities in a major show of strength in the national capital.
The top court also sought responses from the Centre and the Delhi Police on a separate plea challenging the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as designated protest site in the national capital.
On October 11, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar issued an order designating Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground as venues for protests and demonstrations, following which Jantar Mantar was denotified as a designated protest site.
Veteran Journalist and Political Commentator
