Mint Quick Edit | Bihar’s voter list revision: The SC weighs in
The Election Commission of India won a breather on Thursday: the Supreme Court didn’t stop its special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The apex court did pose it some tough questions, though.
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The court asked about the timing of the exercise, expressing doubt if it can be completed this close to the state’s upcoming polls. It also asked about an individual’s right to appeal in the event of exclusion from the voter’s list, which can result in disenfranchisement.
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Also, among other posers, it wanted to know why the poll body had excluded Aadhaar as a valid document to verify the franchise eligibility of an individual.
The Election Commission argued that Aadhaar was not proof of citizenship, which is why it couldn’t be used, and assured the court that nobody would be struck off the rolls without being given a hearing. The court refused to stay the exercise because it agreed that it was the polling body’s duty to update electoral rolls.
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It’s unclear if this will calm protestors in the opposition who argue that the bar has been set too high for citizens to show their citizenship. Let’s hope this controversy doesn’t muddy the entire electoral exercise, a risk no democracy should take.
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