New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday expressed surprise at the lack of political parties in correcting the names of voters removed during the special intensive amendment (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar. The apex court also said that the claim form can be submitted with the Aadhaar card or any other 11 acceptable documents.PTI said, “We will allow the Aadhaar card or any other acceptable documents to be allowed to present the claims of voters removed online.”During the hearing, the Election Commission informed the court that 85,000 new voters were added to the ongoing amendment, only two objections were filed by the booth-level agents of political parties.Justice Surya Kant and a bench of Joymlya Bagchi resumed by listening to a batch of petitions challenging the head practice. The petitions were filed by RJD MP Manoj Jha, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), PUCL, activist Yogendra Yadav, Trinmool Congress MP Mahua Motra and former MLA from Bihar Mujahid Alam.The petitioners have demanded the cancellation of ECI’s June 24 directive, which requires a large number of voters in Bihar to submit evidence of citizenship to stay on the role.
What happened before
On August 14, the Election Commission uploaded details of 65 lakh delete voters from Bihar’s Draft Districts District District Roll following an order from the Supreme Court. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said that this step was taken “within 56 hours of the direction of the apex court” to ensure transparency. He said that Election Registration Officer and booth level officers take responsibility for the accuracy of the role, which are shared with the parties and the public in digital and physically. Draft rolls in Bihar published on 1 August are open to claims and objections till 1 September.Defending the practice, Kumar said that it was a “case of serious concern” that some sides were spreading “misinformation”, saying that India’s electoral system is a “multidimensional, decentralized construction envisaged by law.”During the last hearing, the Supreme Court said that it can separate the results of special intensive amendment if it is proved illegal. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal for RJD MP Manoj Jha argued that the boycott of 65 lakh voters was illegal, while Prashant Bhushan accused the EC of making the role unable to make the role unable to be worthless. The court, while fighting the claims about the lack of documents, said that “Everyone keeps some certificates.” The hearing will continue with the final role to be held on September 30.
