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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has moved the Supreme Court of India seeking an independent committee to examine the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and its decision-making, amid allegations of irregularities in electoral rolls.
The petition also seeks a review of online voter registration procedures and digital services, including the ECINet portal.
The move came on Monday as leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc marched from the Constitution Club towards the Supreme Court in New Delhi to protest against the ECI and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged electoral roll irregularities and what they described as “vote theft”.
Responding to the developments, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said peaceful democratic and political protests were legitimate but should not disrupt the functioning of the Supreme Court.
“Democratic activities must take place peacefully, but the Supreme Court’s functioning should go on smoothly,” he said in open court on Monday.
The Chief Justice stressed that the court was not concerned with any political party and should not be turned into a venue for political agitation.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a resolution seeking the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and measures to improve transparency in the functioning of the ECI.
The resolution, moved by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, received support from both the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the opposition CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
In a separate development, Rajya Sabha MP A.A. Rahim moved the Supreme Court alleging the illegal detention, secret transportation and custodial torture of Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) office-bearers and activists by police in New Delhi on October 11.
The petition concerns alleged incidents at Connaught Place involving DYFI office-bearers, Central Committee members and other activists.
The Supreme Court also directed that no coercive action be taken on the basis of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR linked to corruption allegations involving the Officer on Special Duty to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
A bench headed by Justice M.M. Sundresh declined to stay the FIR but issued notice on a petition filed by the Punjab government.
In another development, Kerala Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan moved a division bench of the Kerala High Court challenging a single-bench order directing the registration of an FIR against him and other accused in the CMRL-Exalogic payoff case.
The division bench, comprising Justices K. Natarajan and Johnson John, admitted petitions filed by Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena, and his son-in-law and former Public Works Minister P.A. Mohammad Riyas.
Separately, Bharti Enterprises founder and chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal was awarded France’s highest civilian distinction, the Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’Honneur, by French President Emmanuel Macron.
According to a company statement, the honour recognises Mittal’s contribution to strengthening economic ties between India and France and his achievements in telecommunications and digital infrastructure.
