New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday, August 14, directed the Election Commission of India to publicly release the names of over 65 lakh voters who were removed during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.
The directive comes amid rising concerns over transparency and the potential impact such large-scale deletions could have on the upcoming state elections.
The bench asked the poll body to upload the complete list on its official website, ensuring public access ahead of voting. The move is expected to allow political parties, civil society groups and affected individuals to scrutinise the deletions, amid rising questions over the fairness and accuracy of the revision process.
Information To Be Released Publicly
The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi ordered that the ECI must ensure wide publicity of the deletions through newspapers, television, and social media, so affected voters are aware of their removal.
It further directed that public notices should clarify that individuals excluded from the draft roll can submit claims for inclusion in the final list, and may also provide Aadhaar cards as supporting proof. The Commission has been asked to complete these steps by next Tuesday, August 19.
Hearing on Challenges to Bihar SIR
The directives were issued while hearing petitions challenging the conduct of the SIR in Bihar, including one filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). ADR had urged the Court to make the omitted voters’ list public along with the reasons for deletion, a request initially opposed by the ECI on the grounds that there was no statutory requirement to do so.
The matter will return to court for further hearing on Friday, August 22.
