Aadhaar will only be used as identity proof in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) that begins in 12 states and UTs from October 28, the Election Commission announced on Monday. It will conclude on February 7, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said at a press conference in New Delhi.
“Aadhaar card is not proof of date of birth or domicile,” Kumar said at the press conference. “Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, but can be furnished as identity proof in SIR exercise.” Follow LIVE updates.
The second phase of SIR will be carried out in Andaman & Nicobar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Draft electoral rolls are to be published on December 9, and the final electoral rolls on February 7.
During the Bihar SIR held over the past three months, the Supreme Court had to step in to order the EC to accept Aadhaar as a document, in addition to 11 others, that could be used to prove identity, address, or other details.
The court had simultaneously recorded that “Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship” and said that ECI and its field officials can conduct enquiries if doubts arise about a person’s citizenship status.
{{/usCountry}}The court had simultaneously recorded that “Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship” and said that ECI and its field officials can conduct enquiries if doubts arise about a person’s citizenship status.
{{/usCountry}}As reported by HT, the matter related to Aadhaar was extensively discussed during a high-level conference of Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from all states and Union Territories, held in New Delhi last month at the India International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM).
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Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, presided over the session.
SIR has become a major political flashpoint ahead of the Bihar assembly elections scheduled for next month. Opposition parties have staged protests in Parliament and alleged that ECI was acting at the behest of the BJP. The government has dismissed the protests and said that infiltrators cannot have the right to vote.