New Delhi, July 12: Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi has raised serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in Bihar. Speaking on behalf of the INDIA bloc during Supreme Court proceedings, Singhvi described the Election Commission’s move as both legally and constitutionally problematic. He later elaborated on these concerns in a press conference.
Singhvi’s first major objection was the Election Commission’s decision to classify voters who were added to the rolls after 2003 as “suspect voters.” While voters registered before 2003 will not be scrutinized, those added after that date will have to prove their citizenship or risk being removed from the list.
“The burden of proof has been unfairly shifted to the voters, rather than the Election Commission,” Singhvi said. “Even individuals who have been voting for years now face the threat of disenfranchisement unless they can establish their citizenship.”
His second point centered on the complicated documentation process required for post-2003 voters. Singhvi said that these individuals are being grouped into three categories, each requiring different combinations of birth certificates — their own, their parents’, or both.
“If a person fails to produce the required documents, they will be summarily struck off the voter rolls,” he warned.
The third objection raised concerns about the legal basis of the exercise. Singhvi asserted that the entire process is being conducted through an administrative order without any change in legislation. “The Election Commission has no authority to investigate citizenship status — that power lies with other agencies under existing law,” he said.
Singhvi’s fourth argument referred to a prior Supreme Court judgment, which clearly states that voters already on the rolls cannot be removed without due judicial process. “Yet in Bihar, the EC is bypassing these protections in a rushed and arbitrary manner,” he said.
Lastly, Singhvi highlighted the scale of the potential voter exclusion, calling it alarming. “Around 5 crore voters have been labelled as ‘suspect.’ Even if 2 crore are eventually disenfranchised, that’s one-fourth of Bihar’s
