The Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, has requested that petitioners involved in protests regarding the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi rectify defects identified in their submissions. This directive was issued on Tuesday, following the Supreme Court registry’s identification of fourteen specific issues in a petition lodged by the INDIA bloc against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The petition alleges widespread voter deletions and irregularities during the SIR process. The Supreme Court registry highlighted the need for a clearer copy of the identity card belonging to Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, who is among the co-petitioners. Additionally, it pointed out issues such as illegible or missing pages and a shortfall of Rs 220 in the required court fee.

Response from Opposition Leaders

In response to the registry’s observations, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut expressed confidence about correcting the identified errors. He reiterated the opposition bloc’s commitment to holding the Election Commission accountable. Raut stated, “There might be some errors in it, which we will now rectify and repair,” indicating a proactive approach to addressing the technical discrepancies.

Raut confirmed his participation as one of the petitioners, stating, “All the parties that were involved in yesterday’s protest are all petitioners.” This remark followed a march led by Rahul Gandhi and several opposition leaders to the Supreme Court on Monday, where they aimed to file the petition.

The INDIA bloc’s petition calls for a thorough examination of the Election Commission’s operations and seeks to prevent Gyanesh Kumar from making unilateral decisions. The petition also raises serious concerns regarding alleged arbitrary voter deletions that occurred during the SIR exercise and scrutinises the regulations governing the use and deployment of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Details of the Petition and Its Signatories

The petition includes a diverse group of opposition leaders, such as Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress’s Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, Communist Party of India (Marxist) member M A Baby, Communist Party of India leader D Raja, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Mahua Majhi, Nationalist Congress Party (Shiv Pratishthan) member Supriya Sule, and Indian Union Muslim League’s E T Mohammed Basheer.

The opposition coalition has requested the suspension of the SIR exercise without contesting its legality. They have also called for the inclusion of eligible voters in the electoral rolls of Punjab and other states preparing for elections. This collective effort underscores the opposition’s determination to address electoral integrity and ensure fair representation in the democratic process.

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