New Delhi: The confrontation over Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls intensified on Monday, with the Supreme Court seeking responses from the Centre and the poll panel, while protests and political mobilisation against the CEC continued across Delhi.
The Supreme Court declined to pass an interim order suspending Kumar over allegations that key SIR decisions were taken unilaterally, but said it would examine the records before deciding on the allegations. The bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant also indicated that decisions found to have been taken contrary to law could subsequently be annulled. The petition cited 14 objections allegedly recorded by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi over issues including Form 6, electoral-roll databases and the ECI's decision-making process.
The Form 6 controversy emerged as another major flashpoint during the hearing. The Supreme Court clarified that it had not approved any modification to Form 6, the form used for registering new voters. The clarification triggered fresh criticism from Opposition parties and protest groups, which have questioned how the declaration attached to the form during the SIR process was introduced.
Congress intensified its attack after the hearing. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated three non-negotiable demands: Kumar’s resignation, cancellation of the SIR and a return to ballot-paper elections. Rahul Gandhi accused Kumar of changing Form 6 “illegally and unilaterally”, while other Opposition leaders called for his removal. These remain political allegations, with the Supreme Court yet to make findings on the claims.
On the streets, the protests entered another day. The NSUI staged a symbolic “living dead” demonstration on Raisina Road, with protesters lying under white sheets while demanding Kumar’s resignation and arrest. Several protesters were detained. Delhi Police later said it registered four FIRs over alleged violence during the NSUI protest, including cases involving the alleged stabbing of a CISF personnel, rioting, defacement and obstruction of public servants. Police said 18 people were arrested and produced before a court.
The wider protest movement also faced a separate confrontation with Delhi Police over an allegation of sexual misconduct involving a woman journalist. AIDWA and other women's organisations demonstrated outside Delhi Police headquarters seeking an FIR against ACP Vivek Bhagat, while protesters remained outside Parliament Street Police Station over the issue. The allegations have been made by the complainant and supporters and are not yet established by a court.
Meanwhile, the opposition is preparing for a longer campaign rather than a one-day mobilisation. The INDIA bloc is scheduled to march from Parliament to the Election Commission on October 6, although the Aam Aadmi Party has said it will not participate. CJP has announced a major protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10. Congress has also planned block- and district-level protests from October 10 to 20, followed by its nationwide ‘Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao’ campaign from October 25 to November 25. An INDIA bloc rally is planned at Ramlila Maidan on November 1, while six Congress-led yatras are expected to converge in Delhi on November 26.
CJP leaders, meanwhile, have said they will continue their mobilisation despite what they claim are plans to arrest some of their leaders ahead of the October 10 protest. Those claims have not been independently established. The group has called for a larger nationwide mobilisation against the SIR and Kumar.
The government and the Election Commission have defended the SIR exercise. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said verification and removal of deceased, duplicate and permanently shifted voters was necessary to maintain clean electoral rolls. The Election Commission has maintained that the SIR process is intended to ensure the integrity of electoral rolls.