Politics
Election Commission Defends Chief in Supreme Court Amid Opposition Protests
The Supreme Court prepares to hear petitions challenging the election body while opposition parties protest venue denials for a mock impeachment.
By Headlinne · Compiled from reporting by Hindu, Live Law and Times of India
The Election Commission of India filed a joint affidavit in the Supreme Court defending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar against petitions questioning his administrative functioning and decision-making authority.
The nearly 250-page document submitted late on Monday stated that any attempt to restrain the functioning of the Chief Election Commissioner is contrary to the 2023 Act governing service terms.
The Supreme Court scheduled a hearing for petitions filed by opposition leaders and other petitioners who alleged that 14 decisions were taken unilaterally by the Chief Election Commissioner without concurrence.
The legal challenge and political backlash stem from disputes over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and allegations of procedural irregularities within the multi-member election body.
According to the joint affidavit, the election body operates on the rule of majority and decisions are vetted sequentially by the commissioners before implementation.
Opposition parties led by the Congress criticized the administration after authorities intervened to block a planned public mock impeachment event scheduled ahead of a major November 1 rally.
Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal said police intervention at the Ashoka Hotel and Ramlila Maidan prevented the party from setting up infrastructure for the planned protest proceedings.
"The day before yesterday, our people came to construct the infrastructure here and the police stopped them. We don't know what the reason is," said Mr. Venugopal.
"Let it be very clear, come what may, we will not rest until Modi-Shah's puppet Gyanesh Kumar is not removed," said Mr. Venugopal.
Delhi Police denied withdrawing permission for the November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan, stating that approval remains in place subject to strict conditions including CCTV installation and timing limits.
Police sources added that the denial of the venue for the mock parliament at Ashoka Hotel depended entirely on the management of the privately owned premises.
The Supreme Court bench consisting of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana will examine the primary records to determine whether disputed actions followed statutory frameworks.
Reporting from
- The HinduBalanced
CEC can be removed only like a Supreme Court judge, ECI tells top court
- Live Law
Plea Against ECI, CEC Gyanesh Kumar, SIR Decisions : Live Updates From Supreme Court
- Times of IndiaLeans left
'Won't rest till puppet Gyanesh removed': Cong alleges denial of nod for mock CEC impeachment
How this article was made: Headlinne wrote it with AI from the 3 reports listed above. Direct quotes are checked word for word against those reports, every number appears in at least one of them, and no other sentence is copied from one. Photos are from those reports and credited to them. Each report’s page on Headlinne links to the outlet’s original.