October 6, New Delhi (RAS/AFP) – India’s Supreme Court has asked the government and the Election Commission for clarifications regarding the decision to undertake a comprehensive review of the voter list. This order was issued on Monday following allegations of irregularities in the review process. Opposition parties and rights activists have criticized the review, demanding the resignation of Election Commission Chief Dhyanesh Kumar. They allege that millions of names were unjustly removed from the voter rolls during this process. Critics accuse Kumar of operating under the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Election Commission has rejected the allegations of irregularities. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant heard the petitions filed against the Commission’s constitutional authority on Monday. The bench has issued notices to the government, Election Commission, and Kumar. Another hearing is expected next week. The petitions seek an examination of the Election Commission’s records to determine whether its decisions comply with constitutional provisions.
Protests against the voter list review have been taking place across various cities in India since last month, following a report published in The Indian Express. The report revealed that two of the three Election Commission members formally dissented at least 14 times regarding key decisions related to the voter list review. The court stated that it could not immediately issue orders based solely on the report and has sought responses from the involved parties. While the report may be accurate or not, the court noted that any legal violations found could lead to modification of the Commission’s decisions.
According to the Election Commission, the review process initiated last year aims to identify fake voter registrations and prevent illegal foreign nationals from voting. However, critics contend that the process disproportionately affects marginalized and minority communities, particularly Muslims. The principal opposition party, Congress, has announced plans to march to the Election Commission office in New Delhi on Tuesday and organize a nationwide ‘Save Democracy’ rally. Protestors also include supporters of the satirical political group, the ‘Kakroach Janata Party’ (CJP), which began an online campaign in May aimed at unseating the then education minister. This group has called for a large public demonstration in the capital on Saturday. Police have deployed significant security personnel around the government-designated protest site near Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Dozens of protestors were briefly detained over the weekend.
