SC issues notice to ECI on plea by Rahul Gandhi
What's the story
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The notice comes after a batch of petitions were filed by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders. The petitions challenge large-scale voter deletions and alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Legal proceedings
Court tags new petitions with other pending cases
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi sought responses from the ECI and CEC.
The court has tagged these new petitions with other pending cases challenging the validity of SIR in various states.
"Somebody will accept notice on behalf of the Election Commission of India. Otherwise, serve them," the court ordered.
The court also indicated it would ask one petitioner about his conduct but did not specify who this was.
Court
SC would like to ask one petitioner about his conduct
"Issue notice. But one objection, before that. We would like to ask one of the petitioners about his conduct on the next date of hearing. Issuing notice does not mean that we are condemning anything. We are issuing notice. But about one of the petitioners, we will definitely entertain the issue. Issue notice. The notice on behalf of one of the petitioners will be entertained on a provisional basis, subject to his explaining his conduct," the court said.
Petitioners
Other petitioners include Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge
The other petitioners include Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy, and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, among others.
The move comes amid protests in Delhi over SIR and calls for CEC Gyanesh Kumar's resignation.
These protests were sparked by a report in the Indian Express that alleged that Kumar had made unilateral decisions regarding SIR despite objections from two Election Commissioners.