New Delhi, Oct 15: The Supreme Court, on Thursday, sought responses from the Election Commission of India (ECI) and its top officials on a petition filed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders alleging large-scale voter deletions and irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the poll panel, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi.
“We are issuing notice ... tagging with pending cases. But we would like to ask one of the petitioners about his conduct,” the Bench said.
During the hearing, lawyers referred to the Opposition leaders’ march to the apex court on Monday to submit their petition challenging the electoral roll revision exercise.
The court also issued notice to Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and others on a separate plea concerning their march to the Supreme Court over alleged SIR irregularities, observing that nobody could browbeat the judiciary.
“Nobody can browbeat the judiciary. We are not sitting in ivory towers,” the Bench observed.
The hearing also touched on a separate contempt matter concerning restrictions imposed during a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on October 10.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, referring to the unconditional apology tendered by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan in the contempt proceedings, submitted that an unconditional apology did not prevent the authorities from defending their actions, adding that it was part of the legal procedure.
The Bench told Mehta that it was not taking cognisance of media reports about authorities tendering unconditional apologies before the court.
The contempt case concerns allegations that authorities violated the Supreme Court’s directions on ensuring that Metro and train services in Delhi were not completely prohibited during the October 10 protest.
Separately, the apex court issued notices to the Centre and other respondents on petitions concerning the Election Commission, including pleas filed by leaders such as Asaduddin Owaisi.
The court also agreed to examine a petition challenging the Delhi Police’s decision to de-notify Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site.
Gandhi and several other Opposition leaders had marched towards the Supreme Court on Monday to submit their petition concerning alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise.
Delhi has witnessed several protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the alleged irregularities.