Rahul Gandhi lists 10 demands in SC plea

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has sought 10 forms of relief from the Supreme Court over alleged irregularities in the Election Commission's voter roll revision process, including a halt to the exercise and an independent probe into voter deletions.

The petition was filed on Monday (October 12) through lawyer S Prasanna after Gandhi failed to reach the court before the 4:30PM deadline. The plea, listed as 'Rahul Gandhi v. Election Commission of India', challenges decisions related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The demands include disclosure of all records related to the SIR, judicial scrutiny of the constitutional validity of the Election Commission's decisions and action against officials responsible for any violations of electoral laws.

The petition also seeks an independent committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge, with technical experts and eminent citizens, to investigate voter deletions and changes to electoral rolls. The proposed committee would also examine access to voter databases and review the technical framework governing electronic voting machines.
Gandhi has further sought publication of booth-wise lists of deleted voters, along with the reasons for each deletion and age- and gender-based details. The plea calls for ensuring that no eligible voter's name is removed without due notice and a reasonable opportunity for a hearing.

Another demand seeks to ensure that online Form 6, used to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll, conforms to the prescribed rules. The petition also asks the court to examine whether the Election Commission's decisions comply with constitutional provisions and relevant legislation.

The opposition has sought an interim stay on the ongoing SIR across states until the issues raised in the petition are adjudicated. It has also asked the court to issue any additional directions necessary to protect eligible citizens' voting rights and ensure electoral transparency.

The legal move followed a protest march by INDIA bloc leaders towards the Supreme Court in New Delhi on Monday. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav were among those who joined the demonstration.