The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the publication of the draft voter list in Bihar amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) why documents like Aadhaar, Voter ID (EPIC), and Ration Cards are not being accepted as valid identity proof for voter verification.
The court questioned the rationale behind the 11 listed documents accepted by the ECI, observing, “If fraud is the concern, no document on Earth is beyond duplication.” The bench directed the ECI to reconsider its list of acceptable documents and respond by 10:30 AM on Tuesday.
In its affidavit, the ECI assured the court that all names present in the January 2025 voter roll will remain in the draft list—provided individuals submit the enumeration form. The court further asked the ECI to clarify the mechanism for objection and hearing if a voter is removed from the list.
The bench also raised a critical query: “Why opt for mass exclusion instead of mass inclusion?”
Earlier, the court had not halted the SIR process as no petitioner had specifically requested it. The hearing was scheduled for July 28, ahead of the draft list’s publication on August 1.
