Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, along with 11 other prominent leaders from the INDIA bloc, filed a petition in the Supreme Court on Monday. The petition challenges the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and raises serious concerns regarding alleged vote theft. The opposition leaders have sought an immediate stay on the SIR process and the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar from his post. The Supreme Court has scheduled the hearing for this significant matter on Tuesday.
The Legal Challenge and Petitioners
The legal team of the Congress party formally moved the Supreme Court on Monday. The petition includes a total of 11 petitioners representing various constituent parties of the INDIA bloc. A. Baby from the CPI(M), D. T. Mohammed Bashir from the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). Notably, no representative from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is included in this specific petition, while the respondents named in the petition are the Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
Supreme Court Hearing Scheduled for Tuesday
The Supreme Court has directed the registry to complete all necessary formalities regarding Rahul Gandhi's petition by Monday itself, while the court emphasized that any deficiencies in the petition should be rectified so that the case can be listed for hearing on Tuesday. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant will preside over the hearing. Earlier, the Chief Justice had indicated that if the petition was filed by Monday evening, the matter could be taken up for hearing the following day. The petition specifically highlights the issue of large-scale deletion of voter names and other irregularities during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The opposition is demanding an immediate halt to this process and the ouster of the Chief Election Commissioner.
The March for Democracy
Prior to the legal move, opposition leaders organized a massive protest titled 'March for Democracy' in Delhi, while led by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, the march saw the participation of hundreds of supporters and workers. Prominent leaders including Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot, and Mukul Wasnik joined the protest. Sagarika Ghosh from the Trinamool Congress was also present. Other key figures in the march included D. A. T. Mohammed Bashir. Social activists such as Yogendra Yadav, Nandita Narayanan, and Neha Bora, the head of the All India Students Association (AISA), also participated in the demonstration.
Protest Route and Police Intervention
The leaders and their supporters initially gathered at the Constitution Club. From there, they traveled in 4 AC buses to the Barakhamba Road junction, where they commenced their foot march towards the Supreme Court. However, the Delhi Police had placed barricades at Bhagwan Das Road to stop the procession. During the standoff, Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, along with a few other leaders, climbed onto a vehicle to address the crowd and register their protest against the electoral process irregularities.
Rahul Gandhi's Direct Attack on the CEC
In a press conference held before the march, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of providing protection to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He questioned the restrictions imposed on the protest in Delhi and claimed that police personnel were being instructed to take action against young protesters. Rahul Gandhi further alleged that some officials within the government are sharing information with the opposition. He made a direct appeal to the Chief Election Commissioner to resign and reveal the names of those behind the alleged irregularities. Rahul Gandhi stated, "Resign, become a government witness. " He added that the Chief Election Commissioner must understand his responsibility and that the opposition's fight is against the forces operating behind him.