BIHAR VOTER LIST ROW HEARING: ECI MAY CONSIDER AADHAAR, VOTERS ID, RATION CARDS AS VALID PROOF FOR SIR, SAYS SUPREME COURT

The Bench posts the case for further hearing on July 28, the petitioners don't insist for an interim stay at this stage.

- KALIDAS NEWDELHI

A Supreme Court Bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi ordered the Election Commission to consider Aadhaar, EPIC or Voters ID, and ration card as a valid proof of documentation for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll underway in poll-bound Bihar.

Over 10 petitions filed by Opposition leaders, activists, NGOs and lawyers have been listed before the Bench, listed the case for further hearing on July 28.

The petitioners argued that the exercise is being done in a slapdash manner in Bihar, closer to the polling date. They also pointed out how Aadhaar was not a valid document.

The Election Commission of India insisted that it was well within its constitutional rights to conduct a special intensive revision and it would be conducted in the rest of the country too, eventually.

The petitioners are not pressing for an interim stay at this stage as in any case the draft electoral roll is scheduled for publication in August and the court hearing is on July 28.

Rakesh Dwivedi has pointed out that the documents list for verification of voters is 11 but the list is not exhaustive. Therefore in our view, since the list is not exhaustive, in our opinion, it would be in the interest of justice for ECI to consider Aadhaar, EPIC, issued by the ECI itself, and ration card.