EC Form 7 Firewall, SC Upholding SIR Process And Row Over Voter Name Deletion Charges

Ahead of the Supreme Court hearing over petitions against the Chief Election Commissioner, Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuiyan made remarks on voting rights and the Special Intensive Revision process during an address at NALSAR. Justice Bhuiyan stated that disenfranchising millions of Indian citizens is arbitrary, emphasising that the Indian Constitution does not create two classes of citizens with and without voting rights. The comments came as the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a batch of petitions seeking the suspension of the Chief Election Commissioner, an independent judicial probe into the special intensive revision, a forensic audit of Election Commission systems including ECINet and ERONet, and the quashing of decisions allegedly taken without consultation. The Congress welcomed the remarks, stating the observations underline the constitutional sanctity of the right to vote. Pleas before the apex court also seek investigations into alleged Form 6 modifications and legal action against senior officials if wrongdoing is established.

An Assistant Sub-Inspector of the Government Railway Police, Sukhchain Singh, was shot at by three unidentified motorcycle-borne youths in Punjab's Ajnala, Amritsar. The cop sustained a bullet injury to his arm and shoulder and was admitted to the Ajnala Civil Hospital, where his condition is stable. The attack occurred while he was returning from duty out of uniform. Following the shooting, the Shiromani Akali Dal and leader Bikram Singh Majithia slammed the Bhagwant Mann government over rising attacks on police personnel and questioned the state's law and order situation, noting previous fatal attacks on cops in the border area.

The Election Commission has rejected allegations of systematic voter deletion, clarifying that no mass removal of genuine electors is taking place. Outlining safeguards regarding Form 7, the commission stated that filing an application does not cause automatic deletion, bulk applications are barred, and names cannot be removed without notice and hearing. It affirmed action against false pleas and noted that the Supreme Court upheld the Special Intensive Revision process. Meanwhile, political allegations emerged claiming the misuse of Form 7 to target voters.

A controversy has erupted across Karnataka over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with citizens alleging improper deletions without due verification. In Bengaluru's Ulsoor, a joint family of 32 voters residing for more than 35 years reported that eight members were removed from the rolls after being categorised as absent or permanently shifted, an assertion the residents strongly deny. In Vijayapura, living electors staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner's office after discovering they had been recorded under the dead voter category. Protesters and Congress leaders gheraoed local authorities and levelled allegations against MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, demanding action. Responding to the row, Yatnal maintained that citizens hold the right to raise concerns and seek proper verification. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar characterised the matter as a criminal conspiracy aimed at disenfranchising traditional Congress voters. Affected citizens are now demanding a transparent review and the restoration of disputed names.