Tensions surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and demands for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar have intensified, triggering widespread political demonstrations. Protesters representing multiple groups, including the NSUI, gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to register their opposition. The ongoing dispute has also reached the highest judicial forum, with the Supreme Court issuing a formal notice to the Election Commission of India and listing the matter for hearing next week. Amid escalating rhetoric from the opposition, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched a direct attack on Gyanesh Kumar, prompting the poll body to issue an official fact-check to rebut his allegations.
Rahul Gandhi Alleges Unilateral Changes to Form 6
Voicing objections over the conduct of the revision process, Rahul Gandhi took to X to post that it had been proved without doubt that Gyanesh Kumar unilaterally and illegally altered Form 6. The Congress leader accused the poll chief of misusing his office to benefit the BJP, declaring that everyone involved in what he characterized as a criminal assault on Indian democracy would be held accountable. To substantiate his argument, he cited point three of a previously issued Election Commission press statement, which noted that the Supreme Court had upheld the declaration attached to Form 6 for the SIR, while standard forms under the Registration of Electors Rules 1960 remain applicable during non-SIR periods.
Election Commission Rebuts Claims through Official Fact-Check
Responding directly to the social media post, the Election Commission shared a fact-check on X, describing the assertions as misleading. The commission presented two specific clarifications to refute allegations of unilateral conduct. First, it highlighted that the directive governing the SIR in Bihar, issued on June 24, 2025, was approved unanimously by the entire commission rather than being an individual executive order. Furthermore, the poll body stated that the Supreme Court of India upheld the validity of that exact order in its ruling delivered on May 27, 2026.
Addressing the documentation reference, the Election Commission cited point 1(iii) from its Press Note 120 dated September 26, 2026. The notification explicitly reiterated that the Supreme Court had already affirmed the declaration accompanying Form 6 for the SIR. By pointing to judicial confirmation and unanimous institutional consensus, the commission countered the claim that the procedural guidelines constituted an unlawful or partisan modification of electoral regulations.
Congress Plans Nationwide 'Save Democracy March' and Protests
Agitations demanding the withdrawal of the SIR and the removal of Gyanesh Kumar have continued across several locations for four consecutive days. In response to the standoff, senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, convened a high-level strategy meeting in the national capital. The party resolved to launch an extensive 'Save Democracy March' spanning multiple states. Under this outreach program, party representatives intend to conduct bicycle drives, motorcycle rallies, and foot marches to compile details of voters whose names were deleted during the verification exercise.
These collected records will form the centerpiece of a major joint opposition demonstration scheduled for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi, featuring leaders from across the INDIA alliance. Additionally, on November 25 and 26, separate foot journeys originating from six distinct locations will converge on the capital. As an immediate escalation, the party also scheduled a direct march from Parliament to the headquarters of the Election Commission.
