On the Judges Panel, former Supreme Court judge Justice Deepak Gupta and former High Court Chief Justice Sanjiv Banerjee deliberate on the Supreme Court’s refusal to expedite hearings regarding Bengal SIR appeals ahead of upcoming by-elections. Addressing concerns over more than 37 lakh pending appeals and disenfranchisement, the panel examined whether judicial review is imperative to maintain transparent electoral rolls. Justice Sanjiv Banerjee emphasised that under the Constitution, every citizen is entitled to vote unless expressly disqualified, questioning the burden placed upon voters to verify their credentials. Justice Deepak Gupta noted that democratic safeguards require courts to step in rather than permit valid citizens to be excluded from voting, urging the judiciary to be far more proactive. Critiquing systemic anomalies and the executive’s role in appointments to the Election Commission, the former judges warned that administrative overreach undermines public trust in democratic institutions.
