Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, accused the Election Commission (EC) of treason and called its actions a crime against the Indian people, following a report by Indian Express that alleged dissent within the EC over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In a post on X, Gandhi stated, 'What you are doing is wrong. This is treason, this is against the country.' The report claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections to the EC's decisions at least 14 times over the past 10 months during the SIR process, which involves updating voter lists. The EC, however, denied the existence of a rift, stating that all decisions, including those related to SIR, had the approval of all three commissioners, including Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Senior Congress leaders, including KC Venugopal and P Chidambaram, also criticized the EC, with Chidambaram questioning the validity of the Commission's decisions if the process was flawed. Venugopal demanded the removal of Gyanesh Kumar, accusing him of acting 'on His Master's orders' to delete voter names without due process. The Congress has long accused the EC of colluding with the ruling BJP to manipulate elections, a charge the EC has consistently rejected. The EC sources told PTI that while the two commissioners had raised concerns about specific aspects of voter roll deletion and data handling, these did not amount to disagreement with the final decisions.

The report by Indian Express detailed several specific issues, including objections to changes in Form 6, centralization of ERONet controls in Delhi, voter deletion appeals in West Bengal, and the failure to add eligible voters in Goa. The EC, however, maintained that all decisions were taken unanimously and with the approval of all three commissioners. The EC also cited legal provisions and a Supreme Court judgment that require decisions to be taken as far as possible unanimously, with the majority view prevailing if unanimity is not possible. The Congress, however, argues that the process was not transparent and that the EC's decisions lacked due process, potentially undermining the integrity of the electoral system.

The Congress, meanwhile, has called for an independent review of the SIR process and the suspension of the exercise until concerns are addressed. Priyanka Gandhi, the Wayanad MP and Congress leader, echoed these sentiments, warning that if elections are unfair or rigged, the EC is complicit in the assault on democracy. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge also raised concerns about the independence and impartiality of the EC, stating that the party has consistently questioned the fairness of elections but has been met with dismissive responses.

What remains unknown is the full extent of the internal disagreements within the EC and whether the process of updating voter lists was conducted with the necessary transparency and due process. The EC has not provided detailed records of the objections raised by the two commissioners, nor has it clarified the legal basis for its decisions. The Congress, however, continues to push for an independent investigation into the matter, emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency in the electoral process. The situation highlights the ongoing tensions between the opposition and the EC, with the Congress accusing the Commission of being under the influence of the ruling party and undermining democratic principles.