New Delhi, July 10: The Supreme Court has allowed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to continue its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi did not stay the SIR process but asked the ECI to consider allowing Aadhaar, ration cards, and electoral photo identity cards as admissible documents to prove voter identity during the SIR of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar.
"We are of the prima facie opinion that in the interest of justice, the Election Commission will also include documents like Aadhaar, Ration Card, Voter ID card, etc.. It is for the ECI to decide whether it wants to accept the documents or not, and if it does not, then provide reasons for its decision, which shall be sufficient to satisfy the petitioners. Meanwhile, petitioners are not pressing for an interim stay," the bench stated in its order. In its order, the top court noted that the timeline for the process is very short since elections in Bihar are due in November. The apex court posted for hearing on July 28 the pleas challenging ECI's move to conduct SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar and asked the poll panel to file its affidavit within one week.
During the hearing, the bench opined that Aadhaar should be included within the list of documents permissible as an ID proof. "We feel since Aadhar has been taken as a solid proof for inclusion in electoral rolls... it should be included. Your enumeration list is all related to identity - matriculation certificate, etc.," observed the bench.
Counsel appearing for petitioners told the top court that, now that elections are months away, the ECI is stating that it will carry out this Special Intensive Revision of the entire roll within 30 days. They said that they won't consider Aadhaar, and they are even asking for documents for parents, the counsel added. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, for the petitioners, told the bench that the entire country is going mad over Aadhaar. Then the ECI says that Aadhaar will not be taken. This is an exercise in citizenship screening, claimed Singhvi.
The court was hearing pleas challenging the SIR process, filed by RJD MP Manoj Jha, ADR, PUCL, activist Yogendra Yadav, and others. Petitioners argued the new documentation rules could exclude poor and rural voters. The next hearing is set for July 28, and ECI has been asked to submit an affidavit within a week.
