The Supreme Court on Monday said it will hear petitions challenging the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar on July 10. The bench, however, refused to stay the ongoing exercise.
Hearing a bunch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's exercise, a vacation bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi said the matter would be heard on Thursday. A battery of senior lawyers led by Kapil Sibal argued on behalf of a bunch of petitioners and said notices should be issued to the poll body.
Challenging the poll body's exercise, petitions have been moved by several opposition leaders, including Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Association for Democratic Reforms, PUCL, and activist Yogendra Yadav.
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In his petition, Bihar leader argued that the Election Commission's June 24 order pertaining to the intensive electoral roll revision drive be quashed as it violated several provisions of the Constitution. The exercise was violative of Articles 14 (fundamental right to equality), 21 (fundamental right to life and liberty), 325 (no person can be excluded from electoral roll based on caste, religion and sex) and 326 (every citizen of India who has attained 18 years of age is eligible to be registered as a voter) of the Constitution, Jha said in his petition.
The Election Commission ordered a special intensive poll revision drive in Bihar on June 24, reportedly to weed out ineligible names and ensure only eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll ahead of the crucial Bihar Assembly elections. The last such intensive revision in Bihar was conducted in 2003.
