A group of lady lawyers and Supreme Court advocates staged a protest outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday over the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The protesting lawyers raised concerns over the manner in which voter names are being verified and deleted during the electoral-roll revision exercise. They alleged that a large number of names have been removed from electoral rolls and questioned the process being followed by the Election Commission.

Lawyers Raise Questions Over Voter Deletions

The organisers alleged that more than 13.5 crore voter names have been struck off during recent revisions. This figure is an allegation made by the protesting group and was not independently established in the material provided for this report.

The lawyers argued that deletion of names from electoral rolls can have serious consequences for eligible voters and said that questions concerning citizenship should not be determined merely through the electoral-roll revision process.

They maintained that the Election Commission's constitutional responsibility is to conduct elections and maintain electoral rolls in accordance with law, while citizenship-related matters fall within the statutory framework administered by the Union government.

Protest Linked To Wider Opposition To SIR

The lawyers' protest comes amid growing legal and public debate over the SIR exercise.

The Supreme Court has also agreed to hear a petition challenging aspects of the functioning of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the SIR process. The plea raises questions about whether decisions concerning the electoral-roll revision were taken by the Election Commission collectively, as contemplated under Article 324 of the Constitution. The matter is expected to be listed next week.

Separately, lawyers, former judges and civil-society representatives have recently raised demands concerning restoration of deleted voters, greater transparency in the electoral-roll revision process and disclosure of relevant records.

Organisers Recall Earlier Lawyers' Protests

The protesting advocates also referred to earlier demonstrations by members of the legal fraternity concerning Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and electoral transparency.

The organisers said that lawyers have a role in raising constitutional and institutional concerns when issues relating to elections and voting rights arise.

The protest comes against the backdrop of continuing political and legal controversy surrounding SIR. The Election Commission's functioning and the revision exercise have been challenged by various petitioners, while allegations concerning the process have been disputed by the authorities and remain subject to legal proceedings.