SC issues notice to EC, poll chief Kumar on Opposition’s pleas seeking audit of SIR deletions

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on petitions filed by Opposition leaders challenging the large-scale deletions during the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, Bar and Bench reported.

The court also issued notice to the Union government and the Delhi Police on a separate petition challenging the de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site, The Indian Express reported.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi clubbed the Opposition’s pleas with petitions already pending before the court challenging the validity of the voter roll revision.

The court said that it will ask one of the petitioners, an Opposition leader, to explain his conduct, Bar and Bench reported. However, the bench did not elaborate on which petitioner it was referring to.

“The notice on behalf of one of the petitioners will be entertained on a provisional basis, subject to his explaining his conduct,” the court was quoted as saying.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and 10 other INDIA bloc leaders had on Monday moved the court challenging the special intensive revision of electoral rolls, seeking an independent audit of voter deletions, disclosure of the poll panel’s internal records and an interim suspension of the exercise.

The petition was filed after the leaders’ request for a meeting with Kant to submit a memorandum on the...

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