-Party leaders call verdict a bold step towards protecting the Constitution and ensuring electoral transparency

New Delhi, August 14 (HS): Senior Congress leaders on Thursday lauded the Supreme Court’s directive to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to publicly disclose the names of nearly 6.5 million voters deleted from Bihar’s electoral rolls during the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR), calling the verdict a significant victory for transparency and democratic rights.

Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal welcomed the court’s insistence that the list — along with reasons for each deletion — be uploaded district-wise on official websites within 48 hours, describing it as “an important step to inject much-needed transparency into the SIR process.”

Venugopal also hailed the court’s rejection of the ECI’s decision not to accept Aadhaar cards as voter ID proof, noting that in a state like Bihar, Aadhaar is the most widely held identification document among the poor and marginalised. Branding the SIR as a “cruel and destructive exercise”, he said the ruling marked “an important first step in our fight to expose the irregularities and collusion in voter suppression and electoral manipulation.”

‘A Bold Stand Against Conspiracies’

Echoing his colleague, Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh wrote on social media platform X that the Supreme Court, through its “clear, firm and courageous verdict, has defended the Constitution of India.” He described the judgment as “a ray of hope against the conspiracies of the Prime Minister and his supporters, and the first big step in a long battle ahead.”

The Supreme Court’s Order

Earlier in the day, the apex court directed the ECI to:

Publish online the names of all voters deleted from Bihar’s draft rolls during the SIR, with reasons cited for each removal.

Upload the list district-wise on the respective District Election Officers’ official websites.

Widely publicise the information through major newspapers, television, and radio to ensure maximum public awareness.

The verdict has been seen by opposition parties as a pushback against what they allege is electoral malpractice targeting vulnerable communities.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar