The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the Election Commission’s stance that Aadhaar cannot be treated as conclusive proof of residence during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
The bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, responded to concerns raised by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who alleged that officials were rejecting valid identity documents, including Aadhaar, ration cards, and EPIC cards.
Justice Kant acknowledged that such documents may “bonafide show you’re resident of that area,” but emphasised they are not definitive. The court also addressed discrepancies in the draft roll, such as living individuals being marked as deceased and vice versa.
Representing the EC, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi admitted the revision exercise may have “some defects,” but assured that corrections would be made before the final roll is published on September 30.
Opposition leaders from parties including RJD, Congress, Trinamool Congress, and CPI have jointly petitioned against the EC’s June 24 decision, warning of potential disenfranchisement of crores of voters. The Supreme Court has stated it will intervene if mass exclusion is evident.
