Rahul Gandhi vs Gyanesh Kumar: PIL challenges SIR in Supreme Court as thousands join Bloc protest INDIA | Today’s news

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has filed a plea in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR), legal news website LiveLaw reported.

The petition comes amid protests by the Congress-led opposition against the SIR exercise and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the revision of the electoral roll.

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INDIA bloc leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, Sajay Raut, Mahua Moitra, Tejashwi Yadav, MA Baby, D Raja, Mohammed Basheer and Supria Sule are also part of the Supreme Court petition.

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The petition challenges the Election Commission of India’s special intensive review of electoral rolls due to alleged irregularities. The Electoral Commission is listed as one of the respondents.

The INDIA bloc has blamed irregularities in the revision of the electoral roll and expressed concern over the conduct of the Election Commission. The opposition is also seeking action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Among the announced demands are a halt to the SIR exercise, an end to alleged “vote-stealing” and a demand for the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.

The CJI said that the issues raised were already under the Supreme Court and that his administrative side could not deal with them. He said the leaders can go to court through his trial.

CJI Surya Kant advised the leaders to invoke the court’s judicial powers under Article 32 rather than submitting a memorandum. He also said the petition could be considered alongside related pending matters.

Ahead of filing the petition, Gandhi, along with the Congress and other opposition leaders, led a march to the Supreme Court on Monday. The march, which was attended by thousands of people, returned from Mandi House around 6 pm on Monday.

The Election Commission was named as one of four respondents in the lawsuit.

INDIA bloc leaders including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sugata Roy, Akhilesh Yadav, Sajay Raut, Mahua Moitra, Tejashwi Yadav, MA Baby, D Raja, Mohammed Basheer and Supria Sule are also part of the Supreme Court petition.

The protests followed a recent report published by the Indian Express which alleged that Kumar had taken several decisions regarding the SIR unilaterally, despite certain objections raised by two election commissioners.

Several protesters were detained over the weekend by the Delhi Police, who issued prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The mass detentions led to several petitions to the Supreme Court, including those alleging that lawyers and journalists were also detained and prevented from carrying out their professional duties.

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The development comes a day after Chief Justice of India Surya Kant rejected Gandhi’s request for an appointment to hear issues related to the SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission. Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, sought a meeting with the CJI to submit a memorandum raising concerns over the SIR process and demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The CJI rejected the request saying that the issues to be raised were already pending in the Supreme Court. He also said that the court cannot interfere in the functioning of the government on its administrative side, while clarifying that the leaders can approach the court for proper assistance. Similar matters related to the SIR exercise are scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

The CJI said any petition filed by the Leader of the Opposition could also be considered along with pending matters.

Massive mobilization on the march of the INDIA block

Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi led the INDIA bloc’s march towards the Supreme Court, where the opposition plans to approach the court citing alleged irregularities in the SIR process and a case against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

All India Students Association (AISA) president Neha Bora walked alongside the two leaders during the march. Thousands of political workers and civil rights activists joined the march, bringing major parts of the capital to a complete standstill, including Mandi House and Barakhamba Road.

Due to the march, barricades were put up and heavy police deployed as thousands of political workers and civil rights activists marched under the INDIA bloc flag to march to the Supreme Court to oust Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

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Led by leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Akhilesh Yadav, the ‘March for Democracy’ brought key stretches of the capital including Barakhamba Road and Mandi House. Demonstrators waved national flags, held placards and raised slogans citing irregularities in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR). During the march, Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge questioned the conduct of the election body.

Earlier, they reached the Barakhamba Road junction when they started marching towards the Supreme Court where they approached the court, citing alleged irregularities in the SIR process and seeking action against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge questioned the conduct of the vote. “We are asking very valid questions. Who authorized Form 6? Whose bulk printing, pre-printed Form 7?… Where is Gyanesh Kumar hiding? When the head of the constitutional body is missing, we have to ask questions,” he said.

Congress MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring asked Chief Justice of India Surya Kant for a meeting. “If the Chief Justice of India does not meet us, who will listen to the grievances of the public? We urge the Chief Justice of India to meet us,” he said.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the Election Commission appeared to be working at the behest of the BJP.

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“BJP is still getting fake votes. We hope the Election Commission will remain impartial. SIR was going on in UP and now it is over. Yet there is a large number of double votes. You have done such a huge exercise, spent crores of rupees and deployed officials for the same. Yet you could not correct the voter list… Then what can you expect from them that SJP is working? order,” he said.

Despite the presence of heavy security, the delegation of the INDIA bloc registered a strong protest against the Election Commission and the issue continues to prevail as it pledged to continue.