Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in India’s parliament, has filed a case in the Supreme Court alleging irregularities in the special intensive revision, or SIR, of the electoral rolls. Seven other leaders of the INDIA bloc are also named as petitioners. The case against the Election Commission was filed on Monday.
On the same issue, a march led by Rahul Gandhi set off the same day from near Connaught Place. Delhi police stopped it near Bhagwan Das Marg. His lawyer filed the petition on his behalf within the set time.
Separate cases on the SIR allegations and on the process of appointing the chief election commissioner are already pending in the Supreme Court. Now Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc’s leaders have themselves filed a petition against the Election Commission.
Those named as petitioners are Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge; Trinamool Congress member of parliament Saugata Roy; Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav; RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav; Shiv Sena (UBT) member of parliament Sanjay Raut; M A Baby of the CPI(M); and CPI leader D Raja.
After meeting President Droupadi Murmu on the same issue last week, members of the INDIA bloc had planned to meet the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Surya Kant, on Monday. He did not give permission for the meeting. That morning the chief justice had said the opposition should turn to the law on the matter, and that the doors of the Supreme Court are open to every citizen. Political circles believe Rahul Gandhi and the other opposition leaders filed the petition accordingly.
The BJP leadership has condemned the Congress’s step. BJP member of parliament Anurag Thakur accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of intimidating the judiciary and trying to create unrest over electoral matters.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report