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Supreme Court allows claims against name deletion in Bihar SIR with Aadhaar Card
The Supreme Court also directed the EC to promote the list of deleted voters and the reasons for their deletion in newspapers, radio, and TV media.
The Supreme Court on Thursday said that voters who are aggrieved by their names being deleted from Bihar's draft electoral roll could submit their claims with their Aadhaar card.
The court also directed the Election Commission (EC) to give wider publicity to the list of deleted voters with reasons for their deletion via newspapers, radio, and TV media.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi gave the directions. The bench was hearing a plea challenging the June 24 EC decision to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar.
The EC has been asked to file a compliance report on the Supreme Court direction by August 22. The top court has deferred hearing on pleas against the Bihar SIR.
During Thursday's hearing, the top court asked the EC, “Why can't you disclose the names” of people who have died, migrated, or shifted to other constituencies?" According to EC, such names have already been given to the political parties in the state.
“Why can't you put these names on a display board or on a website? Those aggrieved can take remedial measures within 30 days,” the Supreme Court asked, adding that it doesn't want citizens to be dependent on political parties.
The EC agreed to share the names of voters deleted in Bihar SIR after the Supreme Court grilling.
Leaders of opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress, and the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), have challenged the electoral roll revision drive in Bihar.
The Supreme Court on August 13 observed that electoral rolls cannot remain "static" and that there is bound to be a revision. The top court said the expanded list of acceptable documents of identity from seven to 11 for Bihar's SIR of voters’ list was, in fact, "voter-friendly and not exclusionary."
