Upping the ante against Gyanesh Kumar after the Supreme Court issued a notice to the poll body amid row over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), along with everyone else involved in what he described as a "criminal assault" on democracy, would be held responsible.
Gandhi, who is a Lok Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli, said Kumar is "abusing" his position under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the poll body chief deliberately and illegally changed the Form 6 that he described as an established fact.
"It is now established beyond doubt that Gyanesh Kumar changed Form 6 illegally and unilaterally," the former Congress president said on microblogging platform X (previously Twitter). "This is just one more proof of him abusing his position to help the BJP. He and everyone else involved in this criminal assault on our democracy will be held accountable."
Gandhi's remarks came merely after the Supreme Court issued notice to the Election Commission and the Centre over a plea challenging decisions taken by Kumar alleging he took them without the approval of two Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. The poll body and the Centre had been provided a week's time to reply.
The notice was issued by a three-judge bench that included Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
"Direct that respondent No. 3 (CEC) shall not exercise the functions of Chief Election Commissioner of India pending final hearing of the present petition; direct that during such period, the business of the Commission be transacted by the unanimous decision of respondent Nos. 4 (Sukhbir Singh Sandhu) and 5 (Vivek Joshi); and direct that any appointment to the resulting vacancy be made upon the recommendation of a Committee, including the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India," the plea stated.
A report by The Indian Express on September 25 had claimed 'dissent' within Kumar and the other two poll body members over the SIR drive. Even though the poll body has issued a clarification, the controversy has refused to die down, with the opposition continuing targeting the government and Kumar, alleging that the BJP is using the poll body to target the democracy in India.
