Supreme Court issues notice to ECI, CEC, ECs on Rahul Gandhi, other INDIA bloc leaders' petition challenging SIR

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to the Election Commission of India, chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on a petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and nine other INDIA bloc leaders, challenging decisions relating to special intensive revision.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justice Joymalya Bagchi also said it would seek an explanation from one of the co-petitioners, regarding his conduct during the October 12 march towards the Supreme Court, making it clear that issuing notice did not amount to condoning the incident.

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"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 condoning anything. But about one of the petitioners, we will definitely entertain the issue. The notice on behalf of one of the petitioners will be entertained on a provisional basis, subject to his explaining his conduct," CJI Kant observed. He didn't name the petitioner.

The proceedings followed a march by Opposition leaders and supporters to the Supreme Court after CJI had declined their request for an appointment to submit a memorandum on the SIR exercise and the functioning of ECI. CJI had conveyed that the issues were already pending before the court and that the leaders could seek appropriate relief through judicial proceedings.

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During the hearing, CJI asserted that the court could not be browbeaten by political pressure and was fully aware of the statements made by political leaders outside its premises as well as their submissions in court. "We are not sitting in ivory towers. We know what statements they make outside and what they say in court. We know everything," CJI Kant verbally observed while hearing the petitions arising from the October 12 march.

The remark came against the backdrop of the march towards the Supreme Court and the commotion that followed when Opposition leaders and supporters gathered within the court premises. The petition had ultimately been filed through lawyers as the registry was nearing closure.

The INDIA bloc petition seeks production of records relating to the SIR exercise, scrutiny of ECI's decision-making process and directions to ensure transparency and compliance with electoral laws. Among its prayers are a retired Supreme Court judge-led committee to audit deletions, publication of booth-wise details of deleted voters and reasons for their removal, and a direction that no voter name be deleted without notice and an opportunity for hearing.

The petitioners have also sought suspension of the SIR exercise across states pending adjudication and a mechanism to restore eligible voters' names. The Supreme Court also issued notice on separate SIR-related pleas filed by AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.