Voter roll revision in BIHAR: Will step in if there's mass exclusion says SC

New Delhi: Responding to the apprehensions that 65 lakh voters are going to be excluded from the draft list to be published by the Election Commission of India in the Bihar Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, the Supreme Court on Tuesday orally said that if there is any mass exclusion, then the court will step in.

A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi listed the petitions challenging the Bihar SIR for hearing on August 12 and 13.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the Association for Democratic Reforms, told the Court about the ECI’s statement that 65 lakh persons have not submitted the enumeration forms during the SIR process as they are either dead or have permanently shifted elsewhere.

Bhushan told the bench that these persons will have to apply afresh for inclusion in the list.

Justice Surya Kant, observing that the Election Commission of India, being a Constitutional authority, will be deemed to act in accordance with the law, assured that the Court will hear the concerns. “We are here, we will hear you,” Justice Kant assured.

Justice Bagchi expressed, “Jan 2025 list is the starting point if there was no SIR. Draft list will be published by ECI. Your apprehension is 65 lakh odd voters will not feature...they (ECI) are seeking correction vis-a-vis 2025 entry. We are overviewing the thing as a judicial authority. If there is mass exclusion, we will immediately step in. Bring 15 people saying they are alive.”