Form 6 Row: CJP Targets CEC After SC Says Modified Form Was Not Approved

The Supreme Court on Monday distanced itself from the Election Commission’s claim that changes made to Form 6, used for fresh voter registration, had been upheld by the court, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant saying the modified form had not been approved by the Supreme Court.

“Any modified Form 6 has not been approved by us. Let’s be clear. When the record is produced, we would like to see who has modified,” Justice Kant said while hearing pleas seeking the suspension of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and challenging decisions allegedly taken by the Election Commission without the approval of its other two members.

The remarks have triggered a fresh political response from the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), whose leaders have questioned the Election Commission’s handling of the form and its September 26 statement on the issue.

The controversy centres on changes made to Form 6, the statutory form used for registration of new voters under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

The issue became a flashpoint after a recent Indian Express report said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had objected to modifications made to the form. They reportedly argued that the prescribed form could not be changed merely through an Election Commission instruction and that any such alteration would require the Central government to first amend the rules.

The additional declaration was linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. It required new applicants to provide details linking themselves, their parents or grandparents to electoral rolls prepared during an earlier intensive revision.

On September 26, the Election Commission said the declaration attached to Form 6 for the SIR had been upheld by the Supreme Court in its judgment on the Bihar SIR.

CJP Questions EC’s September 26 Claim

CJP convenor Abhijeet Dipke questioned how the modified Form 6 could have been introduced without the Supreme Court’s approval.

“How did Gyanu modify Form 6 without the Supreme Court’s approval? On whose orders did he do it?” Dipke wrote on X.

He alleged that the episode showed Kumar was not acting independently and accused the CEC of serving political interests over the rule of law. Dipke also called Kumar a “traitor of India”.

CJP co-convenor Saurav Das said the Supreme Court’s remarks showed that it had not approved changes to Form 6.

“This is major! Today, the Supreme Court has distanced itself from one of Gyanesh Kumar’s illegalities,” Das wrote on X.

Das also referred to the objections reportedly raised by Sandhu and Joshi, claiming that the changes had led to “harassment” of new voters, particularly Gen Z voters, and that the form could only be changed after the relevant law and election rules were amended.

He also questioned the Election Commission’s September 26 statement that the Form 6 declaration had been upheld by the Supreme Court, saying the CJI’s remarks contradicted the claim.

Ashutosh Ranka, another CJP leader, similarly said the CJI’s statement was “in direct contradiction” to the September 26 ECI press release.

Ranka also claimed that the September 26 press release was no longer available on the Election Commission’s website and questioned whether the CEC had misled the public. These claims by CJP leaders could not be independently established from the information available.

CJP Protest

In retaliation after The Indian Express report, the CJP has has held protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and Mumbai's Shivaji Park if Kumar does not resign.

Dipke called on supporters from across India to join the demonstration over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and the Election Commission’s SIR exercise.

“If Gyanesh Kumar doesn’t resign, cockroaches from across India will march to Delhi & protest at Jantar Mantar on October 10,” Dipke posted on X.

He said the protest would be peaceful and that the party would march to Jantar Mantar on Saturday if Kumar does not resign.

“If Delhi Police tries to stop us, wherever they stop us will become our Jantar Mantar,” he said.

“We will walk on the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi,” Dipke added.

He also said it would be up to the government and Delhi Police whether to “respect our right to peaceful protest or repeat the brutality we witnessed on July 20”.

“This is a fight to save our democracy. Every citizen who wants free & fair elections must join,” he said.