Supreme Court Seeks Responses From Central Government and Election Commission on Voter Roll Revision

The Supreme Court of India has sought responses from the central government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding a controversial voter roll revision that has resulted in the deletion of 130 million names and triggered widespread protests.

Issuing notices on Monday, the apex court directed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, the ECI, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to respond in a clear and transparent manner. The petitions before the court questioned the credibility of the ECI and called for an independent inquiry into Kumar’s decisions regarding the special intensive revision (SIR) process, which began last year.

Lawyers representing the petitioners argued before the court that the mass deletions undermined free and fair elections in the world’s largest democracy. Another hearing is scheduled for next week.

The court intervention follows days of street demonstrations across the country led by opposition parties, student groups, and the youth-led Cockroach movement. Protesters have demanded Kumar’s resignation, accusing the ECI of orchestrating a direct attack on democracy and acting in collusion with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Critics and affected citizens in states such as Bihar, West Bengal, and Delhi allege that the revision process has wrongly stripped millions of their voting rights and disproportionately targeted minority communities, particularly Muslims.

The ECI has defended the exercise, stating it is intended to remove duplicate, dead, and ineligible voters, as well as illegal infiltrators. Public outrage intensified recently following a media report that revealed multiple irregularities and internal objections concerning the revision.

The controversy has galvanized youth mobilization, reminiscent of summer unrest that led to the resignation of Modi’s education minister. Thousands of supporters from the Cockroach Janta party protested in Mumbai last Friday, followed by demonstrations in Delhi over the weekend where hundreds were detained.

Police faced criticism for heavy-handed tactics in the capital, including accusations of sexually assaulting three journalists during the weekend protests. Delhi police stated that they were investigating the assault claims.