New Delhi: The Supreme Court has warned the Election Commission of India that the entire Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls will be annulled if found to be conducted in violation of the law. The matter, which holds implications beyond Bihar, will be decided after final arguments scheduled for October 7.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said it was presuming the poll body had complied with all legal procedures, but cautioned that any irregularity in methodology would render the exercise invalid. The court also clarified that its decision will carry pan-India impact, not limited to Bihar alone.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court directed that Aadhaar should be accepted as the twelfth valid identity document for voter roll inclusion. This came after reports that officials were refusing to accept Aadhaar despite earlier instructions. The bench noted that while Aadhaar cannot establish citizenship, it remains valid for proof of identity and residence.
The SIR exercise has faced criticism from opposition parties, who allege that lakhs of genuine voters are being removed without due process. A draft list published by the ECI on August 18 showed that nearly 65 lakh names were deleted from Bihar’s voter rolls. Critics argue that excluding Aadhaar from the original list of approved documents placed voters at an unfair disadvantage.
The ECI has rejected charges of “vote theft” and asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to file an affidavit with evidence or issue a public apology for his allegations.
