Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, file petition against Gyanesh Kumar in SC
The petition names the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
In the Lok Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday against irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision of Voter Lists (SIR). The petition raises issues of large-scale removal of voters' names and discrepancies in the process of revising the voter list.
According to a report by Live Law, the inclusion of leaders from Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Rashtriya Janata Dal in the petition indicates that multiple opposition parties have collectively taken this matter to court. Notably, this is the first time opposition leaders have marched to the Supreme Court over a demand. Leaders of the opposition participated in a nearly one-kilometer-long march, traveling by bus, on foot, and in vehicles.
Besides Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, Sougata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, and Tejashwi Prasad Yadav are also among the petitioners. The petition has been filed by the opposition leaders through Advocate-on-Record S. Prasanna. The Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have been made parties to the petition.
This step has been taken at a time when opposition parties led by Congress are protesting against the SIR process. The opposition is also demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over irregularities in the revision of the voter list. Now, the opposition has raised these allegations and objections related to the process in a judicial forum.
Before filing the petition, Rahul Gandhi led a march towards the Supreme Court with leaders of Congress and other opposition parties on Monday. Through this march, the opposition advanced its protest against the SIR and the functioning of the Election Commission.
Subsequently, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court by 11 opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi. Thousands of people gathered during the march. A sea of people surged from Barakhamba Road in Delhi to the Supreme Court.
This development comes a day after Chief Justice Suryakant declined a request for a meeting from Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. The two leaders had sought an appointment with the Chief Justice to discuss issues related to the SIR process and the functioning of the Election Commission.
During this meeting, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wanted to submit a memorandum. Through the memorandum, they aimed to express their concerns regarding the SIR process. They also intended to raise the demand for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
However, the Chief Justice did not accept the request for a meeting. He stated that the issues the opposition leaders wanted to raise are already pending before the Supreme Court. On this basis, he clarified that instead of a separate meeting on these subjects, the path to seek relief through the judicial process of the court should be followed.
The Chief Justice also mentioned that the court cannot interfere in the functioning of the government at the administrative level. He further clarified that opposition leaders can approach the court for judicial relief. This means that the option to present their demands and objections before the court through a petition remains open to them.
A hearing on similar matters related to the SIR is scheduled in the Supreme Court on Tuesday. The CJI indicated that if any petition is filed by the opposition leaders, it could be considered along with the already pending cases. However, this indication should not be seen as an order or relief regarding the new petition.
The main issue of the petition filed on Monday is the large number of names being removed from the voter lists and allegations of irregularities in the process of Special Intensive Revision. The opposition has been continuously protesting regarding these issues. The demand for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner is also part of this political opposition.