Rahul Gandhi accuses Gyanesh Kumar of illegal changes in Form 6
The Chief Justice stated on Monday that no revised Form 6 has been approved by us.
The Congress party on Monday accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of betraying the fundamental spirit and provisions of the Constitution at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, stated that it has now been proven beyond doubt that Gyanesh Kumar made illegal and unilateral changes to Form 6.
Rahul Gandhi posted on X, saying,
This is yet another evidence of his misuse of office to aid the BJP. Gyanesh Kumar and all others involved in this criminal attack on our democracy will be held accountable.
The party also questioned the Election Commission's clarification, stating that the changes made to Form 6 during the Special Intensive Review (SIR) were illegal.
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said it is clear and evident that the CEC lied. The CEC deliberately altered Form 6 to remove the names of Gen Z voters, whom the Prime Minister is terribly afraid of.
It is noteworthy that earlier, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Centre and the Election Commission seeking a response to a petition alleging that Gyanesh Kumar made decisions without the approval of both Election Commissioners. The petition also sought to restrain the Chief Election Commissioner from performing his duties until the final hearing. The court has not issued any interim order so far.
While hearing the case, the Chief Justice stated,
Let it be absolutely clear that we have not approved any revised Form 6. Also, let it be clear that when the report is presented, we would like to see who made what modifications.
Congress leader Ramesh stated that this change was initially presented as if it had received the Supreme Court's approval. He described it as an example of Gyanesh Kumar's improper and indefensible conduct. Ramesh alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner lied and violated the law, betraying the Constitution at the behest of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.
Meanwhile, CJP convenor Abhijit Deepke quoted the CJI's statement, saying,
That is not enough! Anything found not in accordance with the law is termed illegal, and the person responsible should be charged accordingly.'' He asked, ''Gyanesh, why did you do this?'
Menka Guruswami, the lawyer for Shailendra Mani Tripathi, who filed the petition against Gyanesh Kumar, stated that changes were made to the 'Form 6' for adding new voters. The CJI issued a notice regarding this. The Chief Justice said, "The changes to Form 6 have not been approved by the court. It will be seen who made these changes when the records come to light." Saurav Das, a founding member of CJP, stated that today the Supreme Court of India has severely trapped Gyanesh Kumar, declaring him a liar. Gyanesh (Gyanesh Kumar), your game is over, brother.
The Election Commission defended the announcement added to the online Form 6 in a press note dated September 26, 2026. It asked new voters whether their or their parents' details were recorded in the previous SIR voter list. The Commission claimed that the Supreme Court had validated this provision in its May 2026 decision on the Bihar SIR.
The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V. Mohan issued the notice after hearing the arguments of senior advocate Vikas Singh. The bench stated that the Commission's decisions should be made by consensus or majority, and the court assumes that decisions will be taken through this process.
The public interest petition filed by Rakesh Kumar Singh, a resident of Patna, seeks to investigate whether the Chief Election Commissioner is using rights that are granted to the entire Commission alone. The petition demands that such actions be declared unauthorized and calls for appropriate legal action. It also requests that during the period of restraining Gyanesh Kumar, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi manage the Commission by consensus. A request has also been made to seek recommendations from a committee headed by the Chief Justice for appointments to potential vacancies.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut described Gyanesh Kumar as “the enemy of the country,” alleging that he is not coming forward amid protests demanding his resignation. He stated that opposition MPs will march to the Election Commission office in Delhi on Tuesday.
Both Form 6 and Form 7 are at the center of the SIR controversy. Form 6 is for adding new voters, while Form 7 is used to object to or request the removal of a name.
Congress MP Syed Nasir Hussain alleged that a booth agent linked to the BJP submitted applications to remove the names of 7,561 voters in Ballari, most of whom were Muslims. D.K. Shivakumar raised the demand for a criminal investigation, while Priyank Kharge termed it a “centralized criminal conspiracy” against certain communities.
According to a report by Indian Express, Sandhu and Joshi have raised objections to SIR decisions at least 14 times in the past ten months without their knowledge or recommendation. The Commission claims that differing opinions are part of normal deliberation and that all its orders are legal and in accordance with established procedures.