Supreme Court warns Poll Panel over Bihar SIR
The Supreme Court of India Tuesday August 12, 2025 warned the Election Commission of India (ECI) that the ongoing voter list revision, popularly known as SIR, could be set aside.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India Tuesday August 12, 2025 warned the Election Commission of India (ECI) that the ongoing voter list revision, popularly known as SIR, could be set aside.
During the hearing on the petition challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant said the process could be set aside if “illegality is proven”.
The Election Commission of India published the first draft of electoral rolls after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) last week. After the analysis of the draft electoral rolls, the opposition parties found over 65 lakh voters removed.
The opposition parties, media persons and NGOs also claimed huge mistakes in names, fake voters, unbelievable number of voters at single address etc.
The ECI said it is removing the names of “non citizens” from the voter list during the process. Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi countered this saying, "If I am not a citizen, I can be stopped from appearing on the voter list till I get citizenship. But if I am already on the electoral roll, then how can the EC determine?”
Singhi also contended that "there cannot be a system in which citizenship is doubted for five crore people..."
To this the Supreme Court assured, “We are sitting here if they declare five crore invalid... "
"Dead" Voters Reach Court
Today's highlight of the SC hearing on voter revision in Bihar was the surprise appearance of the voters who have been declared dead in the draft voter list.
Sudhakar Singh, RJD MP from Buxar in Bihar, came in the court carrying along with him 17 voters who have been declared dead and removed from the voter lists.
Activist Yogendra Yadav came with two voters who have been declared dead.
Sudhakar Singh and Yadav brought these voters in response to the Court's observation during the last hearing wherein it sounded unconvincing and asked to bring 15 voters who are alive but been declated dead.
Talking to media outside the Supreme Court, Sudhakar Singh also alleged that "fake voters" have been added at different addresses, including his own.
"I found two voters registered at my address. I don't know who they are", he said.
"Aadhaar as Proof of Citizebship"
The Supreme Court of India however said the Poll Panel is right in not accespting the Aadhaar card as proof of citizenship.
"The Election Commission is correct in saying Aadhaar cannot be accepted as conclusive proof of citizenship. It has to be verified," Justice Kant told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners.
The SC had in the earlier hearing in the matter on July 10 had asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider three documents - Aadhaar, Ration Card and Voter ID card, during the ongoing electoral rolls verification process.
The petitioners, on the other hand, said the poll panel is not authorized to confirm the citizenship of a person.
The Supreme Court also said the main question to decide was whether the ECI had the power to carry out the verification exercise.
"If it doesn't have the power, everything ends. But if they have the power, there can't be a problem," Justice Kant remarked.
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