New Delhi, July 29 (H.S.): The Supreme Court will hear a petition challenging voter verification in Bihar on August 12 and 13. The Court indicated that it would step in if many voters are removed from the voter list, asking the petitioner to provide 15 living individuals whose names were incorrectly listed as deceased. Prashant Bhushan, representing the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), referenced a statement from the Election Commission noting that 6.5 million people failed to show enumeration forms, suggesting they may be deceased or relocated. Bhushan stressed that these individuals must reapply to be on the voter list, prompting the Court to agree to hear the matter.
On July 28, the Supreme Court recommended that the Election Commission accept Aadhaar and voter ID cards as valid for voter list inclusion, with a caution to take action against any fraudulent documentation discovered. The petitioner’s lawyer, Gopal Shankar Narayanan, requested an injunction against the draft voter list release, which the Court declined, opting to review the case thoroughly first. ADR criticized the Election Commission for failing to justify the exclusion of Aadhaar and ration cards as valid documents for voter list inclusion in their counter-affidavit, asserting that the 11 documents listed by the Election Commission could be acquired fraudulently. They noted the essential connection between Aadhaar cards and obtaining various certifications and passports.
Moreover, ADR claimed the Election Commission's restriction on Aadhaar cards is unreasonable and highlighted a lack of a clear verification process for documents during scrutinies. They pointed out that electoral registration officers (EROs) are overburdened, being responsible for large populations, leading to possible widespread exclusion. The Election Commission, in its affidavit, stated that voter ID cards and Aadhaar cards are not valid for voter list inclusion, citing the Aadhaar Act which clarifies that Aadhaar does not establish proof of citizenship.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
