States » WestPosted at: Oct 5 2026 8:45PM


Maha: Congress president Sapkal says constitutional rights under threat

Nagpur, Oct 5 (UNI) Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Monday alleged that constitutional rights were being undermined across the country, citing recent observations by Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on the right to vote.
Speaking to reporters at Nagpur airport, Sapkal referred to Justice Bhuyan's remarks made at an event at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad on Sunday. The judge had said that any exercise that deprives millions of citizens of their voting rights is inherently arbitrary and contrary to the constitutional framework, adding that the Constitution does not envisage separate categories of citizens based on voting rights.
Reacting to the comments, Sapkal said the concerns expressed by the Supreme Court judge reflected the prevailing reality.
"It is now evident that constitutional rights are being violated and the guarantees provided under the Constitution are not being respected. What Justice Bhuyan has said is the truth," he said.
The Congress leader maintained that sovereignty rests with the people and not with any individual in power, asserting that the Constitution clearly recognises the common citizen as the ultimate authority.
Targeting the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Sapkal alleged that the exercise was being used to curtail voting rights and weaken democratic participation through the Election Commission.
His remarks come amid a political controversy over the SIR process after reports suggested that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivel Joshi had repeatedly raised objections to certain decisions and orders related to the exercise, claiming they were issued without their knowledge or recommendation.
The Election Commission, however, has rejected the criticism, stating that differences of opinion are a normal part of institutional deliberations and that all decisions are taken in accordance with statutory procedures and carry full legal validity.
Sapkal said the objections raised by the two Election Commissioners, as well as concerns expressed by Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer, deserved serious consideration.
He further questioned whether any "moral responsibility" remained with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union Home Minister Amit Shah in light of the developments.
Referring to the Kerala government's decision to order a vigilance probe into a 2006 road project during the tenure of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as the state's Public Works Department secretary, Sapkal alleged that the developments had exposed what he described as irregularities in the electoral process.
Drawing a comparison with previous union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who faced protests over NEET paper leaks and education-related issues, Sapkal claimed that Gyanesh Kumar would eventually be compelled to step down from his post.
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