Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has moved the Supreme Court over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He said the court has issued notices to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Union government in response to his petition.
Singh, a former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, shared this at a press conference in Bhopal. His petition challenges how the SIR of electoral rolls was carried out.
What Digvijaya Singh Alleges About the SIR
Singh's main charge is that chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar bypassed the other election commissioners. He says this undermined the voter registration safeguards that are meant to protect the process.
He also alleges that crores of voters were removed from the electoral rolls without proper verification. In his view, the SIR process did not follow the checks it was supposed to follow.
The Congress veteran said the Supreme Court had issued notices to the ECI and the Union government in response to his petition. This means the court has asked both to respond to the matter raised before it.
Why This Case Matters for Voters
The Special Intensive Revision is a process that updates electoral rolls. If voters are removed without proper verification, as Singh alleges, it can affect who is able to vote.
Singh's petition focuses on two things — how the election commission took its decisions, and whether the removal of voters followed the rules. Both points go to the heart of how elections are conducted.
- Singh says the Supreme Court issued notices to the ECI and the Centre over his petition.
- He accuses chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of bypassing the other election commissioners.
- He alleges crores of voters were removed from electoral rolls without proper verification.
- He says the SIR process undermined voter registration safeguards.
Our Take: A Serious Question That Deserves a Clear Answer
To put it plainly, the core issue here is trust. Electoral rolls decide who gets to vote, and any process that removes voters in large numbers must be able to show its work. Singh's allegation that the chief election commissioner bypassed his fellow commissioners is serious because the election body is meant to function as a collective institution, not a one-person show.
In our view, the Supreme Court's decision to issue notices is the right step. It does not prove Singh's allegations are true. It simply means the court wants answers from the Election Commission and the Centre. That is how it should work — claims this serious should be tested in court, not settled in press conferences.
For readers, the takeaway is simple. If crores of voters were indeed removed without proper verification, that affects real people and the fairness of future elections. The Election Commission and the Centre now have a chance to explain their side. Until they do, the questions raised by Singh remain open — and they deserve a clear, factual answer.
