Leaders of the constituent parties of the opposition 'INDIA' alliance wrote to Chief Justice of India Justice Suryakant, claiming that the country's democracy is "in danger" and expressing concerns over the electoral process and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. They said that when all institutional mechanisms fail, the judiciary remains the citizens' last hope.
The letter was written on June 28 by leaders of 23 opposition parties. It was signed by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, and several other leaders.
In the letter, the leaders said that under normal circumstances they would not write such a letter to the judiciary, but they believe that "the country's democracy is in danger," which is why they have taken this extraordinary step.
They said that Parliament, the judiciary, the media, and the executive are the main pillars of democracy, and that democracy can remain strong only through cooperation among these institutions. Calling free and fair elections the foundation of a democratic system, they said that any irregularity in the electoral process could affect the true will of the people.
The letter questioned the Election Commission and, in particular, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of the electoral rolls being conducted under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The opposition leaders alleged that although the process, launched in Bihar, was presented as a measure to ensure the purity of the electoral rolls, its implementation has created the possibility that a large number of voters could be deprived of their voting rights.
The letter claimed that the document-based verification process has proved "exclusionary" for the poor, the illiterate, Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, and migrant workers.
It also alleged that the SIR process has been marked by administrative confusion, a lack of transparency, and repeated changes to the rules.
In the letter, the leaders of the 'INDIA' alliance said that when all other institutional mechanisms fail, people place their final trust in the judiciary.
Expressing confidence in the judiciary, they said that their intention was not to influence any pending case but to strengthen public trust in democratic institutions.
At the end of the letter, the leaders said that if the judiciary also fails to address people's concerns, then the question arises: to which institution should citizens ultimately turn?
