Owaisi challenges SIR in SC, hearing today

New Delhi: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the manner in which the Election Commission is conducting the SIR, claiming that the constitutional and statutory safeguards have been overlooked and the voting rights of eligible citizens have been jeopardised.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submission of advocate Nizam Pasha, appearing for Owaisi, that the plea be listed on Thursday along with other pending ones on the issue.

Assuring consideration, the CJI-led bench indicated that it would examine the matter and the reference to similar petitions. Pasha submitted that the relevant cases had been identified in the memo accompanying his request for listing. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and 10 prominent opposition leaders and others have also moved the top court against the alleged malpractices in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and other related processes.

The Supreme Court also said it would hear on October 28 a plea seeking a direction to the Election Commission to place in public domain the list of electors issued notices during the SIR of electoral roll in Delhi along with specific reasons for each notice.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi.

Bhushan said petitioners have filed an application seeking a direction to the EC to provide an appropriate mechanism for inclusion of those voters, whose names were omitted from the electoral roll pursuant to SIR in Delhi, without requiring them to declare that they are applying for inclusion for the first time.

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