Rahul Gandhi, 10 Opposition leaders seek stay on SIR, audit of voter deletions in plea to SC

A plea filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and ten other Opposition leaders in the Supreme Court on Monday challenged the manner in which the Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken decisions relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The petition also seeks an independent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to audit deletions and modifications in electoral-roll databases, including ECINET and ERONET, according to ANI. The Opposition has also demanded an interim suspension of the ongoing SIR pending adjudication.

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Petitioners include Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Roy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, CPI(M) MP MA Baby, CPI leader D Raja, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Mahua Majhi, NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule and ET Indian Union Muslim League Mohammed Basheer.

The leaders seek disclosure of the EC’s complete files, agendas, minutes, notings and objections concerning the disputed decisions, including the June 24, 2025 decision to commence the SIR, as well as ECINET and ERONET access logs.

The Opposition parties held a protest march to the Supreme Court on Monday to file the petition, seeking a judicial examination of whether the above decisions were taken in accordance with Article 324 of the Constitution, the 2023 law governing the Election Commission and the Supreme Court’s ruling in T.N. Seshan v Union of India.

The Opposition factions and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) have held protests in the national capital demanding withdrawal of SIR and resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

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Among the substantive reliefs sought by the Opposition leaders, the petition asks the court to ensure that no elector is deleted without notice and a reasonable opportunity of hearing, and to direct publication, booth-wise, of deleted electors along with reasons for deletion and demographic details.

The petition demands court to direct the ECI to ensure that “every decision of the Election Commission relating to the Special Intensive Revision is taken and duly minuted” in accordance with the 2023 Act.

It also sought a direction that “no elector is deleted from the electoral roll without notice and a reasonable opportunity of hearing in accordance with law.”

INDIA Bloc leaders move SC against Election Commission

Rahul Gandhi, along with other INDIA bloc leaders, moved the Supreme Court against the EC, impleading Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and the two Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, alongside the ECI in their plea.

The plea filing comes as INDIA bloc leaders arrived at the Supreme Court after their march from central Delhi, along with AISA president Neha Bora who also participated in the march.

The march was joined by other Opposition leaders, including Akhilesh Yadav, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Karnataka CM DK Shivakumar, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Tejashwi Yadav and Supriya Sule.

After arriving at the apex court, Tejashwi Yadav told reporters, "All the opposition leaders have filed petitions in the Supreme Court...We are fighting to save democracy"

Akhilesh Yadav stated that Democracy will "survive only when the BJP is removed from power".

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"This is exactly what democracy looks like. Do you think that by blocking roads, closing metro stations, and cancelling trains, you can stop democracy from coming? You may forget democracy, but the people of this country who have shed their blood have not forgotten democracy, which is why we are on the streets," Neha Bora said during the march.

In view of the protests march, police deployed barricades and heavy security arrangements as thousands of political workers and civil rights activists marched under the INDIA bloc banner.

(With inputs from ANI)