Vikas Singh: 'Only Way To Correct This Situation Will Be To Immediately Remove The CEC'

The political standoff between the BJP and Congress over the Election Commission of India and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar intensified, with the Congress and Indian Youth Congress staging nationwide demonstrations demanding his resignation or prosecution over alleged electoral disenfranchisement through the Special Intensive Revision process. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi visited Delhi's Bella Estate and alleged that hundreds of voter names had been deleted from electoral rolls. BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, hit back, accusing the opposition of targeting constitutional institutions to deflect from election defeats. An India Today panel examined the allegations, the Form 6 declaration process and the statutory provisions governing electoral rolls under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Meanwhile, violence broke out in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, during a road-widening demolition drive that affected a portion of the Shahi Masjid. The incident came ahead of the 2028 Simhastha Maha Kumbh.

On the Judges Panel, former Supreme Court judge Justice Deepak Gupta and former High Court Chief Justice Sanjiv Banerjee deliberate on the Supreme Court's refusal to expedite hearings regarding Bengal SIR appeals ahead of upcoming by-elections. Addressing concerns over more than 37 lakh pending appeals and disenfranchisement, the panel examined whether judicial review is imperative to maintain transparent electoral rolls. Justice Sanjiv Banerjee emphasised that under the Constitution, every citizen is entitled to vote unless expressly disqualified, questioning the burden placed upon voters to verify their credentials. Justice Deepak Gupta noted that democratic safeguards require courts to step in rather than permit valid citizens to be excluded from voting, urging the judiciary to be far more proactive. Critiquing systemic anomalies and the executive's role in appointments to the Election Commission, the former judges warned that administrative overreach undermines public trust in democratic institutions.

The Supreme Court of India took suo motu cognisance of recent rape cases in Delhi, noting that five rape cases took place within five weeks in the national capital. The court issued observations addressing failures in law enforcement and civic administration, stating that living without fear is a fundamental right and public spaces cannot become high-risk zones. Pointing out lax police patrolling and poorly lit roads, the court drew a parallel to the Nirbhaya case and sought a status report on safety schemes while ordering an audit of vulnerable areas. The developments follow incidents reported from Kalkaji in Delhi to Jamui in Bihar. An India Today ground reality check across public spaces and parks in Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Bengaluru highlighted issues regarding non-functional streetlights, lack of CCTV camera surveillance, and absent police patrolling after dark.

Opposition parties staged nationwide demonstrations in Delhi, Srinagar, Patna, Ranchi and Jaipur, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In Delhi, security personnel used water cannons as protesters attempted to march towards the Election Commission headquarters. The Congress accused the Election Commission of deleting voters' names and manipulating portal data, while the BJP defended the revision, citing Supreme Court oversight and describing the allegations as part of a "toolkit campaign". Meanwhile, tensions within the INDIA bloc deepened as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav skipped an all-party meeting amid seat-sharing differences with the Congress ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The disagreement also triggered exchanges between leaders Imran Masood and Shivpal Singh Yadav. In Delhi, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of concerns over the safety of women and children in public spaces. Former police officer Dr Kiran Bedi suggested measures including parental accountability and electronic GPS anklet monitoring for people released on bail.