Bihar SIR | SC vindicates EC's stand not accepting Aadhar, voter IDs to prove citizenship

In a major vindication for the Election Commission's actions in Bihar, the Supreme Court observed the poll body was right in not accepting Aadhar, voter IDs and ration cards as proof of citizenship. The top court will continue hearing a bunch of pleas moved by opposition and non-profit organisations challenging the intensive electoral roll revision on Tuesday.

Hearing the matter, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi questioned the Opposition's argument that citizens in Bihar do not possess documents other than Aadhar or voter IDs to prove they are citizens of the country. 

When senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued that Aadhar is not being accepted and Biharis were not in possession of the documents mentioned by the Commission, Justice Kant observed that an elector need not provide all documents mentioned in the list.

When Sibal argued, "Bihar people don't have these documents", Justice Kant observed, "Bihar is part of India. If Bihar does not have, other states also won't. Very sweeping argument that in Bihar, nobody possesses these documents." The bench observed, "They (Election Commission) are right in saying they can't be accepted as conclusive proof."

"This is a case of trust deficiency that's all," Justice Kant remarked. Appearing for Association for Democratic Reforms, advocate Prashant Bhushan argued that the Commission made the draft electoral roll non-searchable after August 4. He added that electors are being directed to political parties to verify their status in draft rolls.

Activist Yogendra Yadav argued that Bihar SIR was designed for mass exclusion, and no new voters have been added. Yadav also produced two persons, whose names were removed from the draft roll, citing they were dead. "This is the first exercise in the history of the country where revision has taken place with zero additions. Zero additions," Bar and Bench reported, quoting Yadav.