Supreme Court to hear Rahul Gandhi, Oppn. leaders’ plea against CEC Gyanesh Kumar and SIR on Oct. 15

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, along with other leaders of Opposition parties, moved the Supreme Court on October 12, 2026, seeking a complete disclosure of “files, agendas, minutes, notings and objections” recorded by Election Commissioners. File | Photo Credit: Reuters The Supreme Court on Thursday (October 15, 2026) is scheduled to hear a petition filed by the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, along with other leaders of Opposition parties, seeking a full and complete disclosure of “files, agendas, minutes, notings and objections” recorded by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on the SIR exercise, which has so far deleted about 13 crore voters across India.A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi is presiding over the Bench.In the writ petition filed on Monday (October 12, 2026), Mr. Gandhi also sought a judicial examination of the Election Commission records to verify whether Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar acted arbitrarily and unilaterally during the ongoing SIR.The Congress leader said the petition highlights serious concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process itself under the SIR. He argued that the aftermath of the SIR has witnessed the infringement of the constitutional right of eligible citizens to be registered as voters and to exercise their right to vote.The LoP also sought an interim direction from the Supreme Court to suspend the SIR pending consideration and adjudication of the issues raised in the petition in order to protect the rights of eligible electors and preserve the integrity of the electoral process.“The right to vote belongs to every eligible citizen irrespective of political affiliation, and its protection is a constitutional imperative that transcends party politics,” the petition, represented by senior advocate A.M. Singhvi and filed through advocate Prasanna S., said.Multiple other petitions challenging the illegal detentions and police crackdown on protesters during the October 10 anti-CEC protests in Delhi are also listed before the same Bench.On Sunday, the Bench had ordered the Union government and authorities to file affidavits explaining their actions on October 10.Notices were also issued by the Special Bench in contempt petitions filed against the Union government and Delhi Metro authorities. The cases were listed initially for October 13, but later shifted to October 15. The Union government had also sought an extension of time till October 15 to file their affidavit. Published - October 14, 2026 11:14 pm IST