The Supreme Court of India has instructed the Election Commission (EC) to move forward with the authentication of voters using Aadhaar cards alongside Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC). During a session on Monday, the bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls should focus on inclusive practices rather than exclusionary ones.
The court rejected the request to halt the SIR process and instead announced it would conduct daily hearings to expedite decisions on the matter. Responding to the EC’s assertion that Aadhaar does not serve as conclusive proof of identity, the bench challenged this notion, asking, “Which single document can be deemed conclusively valid?” It urged the inclusion of Aadhaar in conjunction with EPIC as acceptable forms of voter verification.
In a prior ruling on July 10, the court suggested that the EC also consider the inclusion of ration cards for voter authentication, stating these documents would likely meet the requirements of most voters. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioners, argued that the EC’s reluctance to accept these three crucial documents could result in the mass exclusion of individuals from the electoral rolls.
For the EC, senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi and Maninder Singh contended that relying on ration cards was problematic due to past irregularities associated with them. They pointed out that the revision forms distributed to the public are pre-filled with EPIC numbers, yet insisted that since EPIC is not a definitive proof, voters must present another form of identification to verify their entries on the voter list.
The bench highlighted that while no document can provide absolute identity proof, the EC should accept Aadhaar, emphasizing that, “Any document, including Aadhaar, can be forged. Therefore, it should proceed with the SIR by accepting Aadhaar and EPIC.” When Dwivedi raised concerns about Aadhaar’s potential for forgery, the bench clarified that the EC has the authority to prosecute individuals submitting forged identification.
“An exercise of this nature cannot be for en masse exclusion. It should aim for en masse inclusion,” the court underscored. Sankaranarayanan further urged that until the Supreme Court resolves issues regarding SIR documentation, the EC should hold off on proceeding with the exercise. Justice Kant’s bench reiterated that their previous directive was clear-there cannot be any interim order on this matter.
Sankaranarayanan requested the maintenance of the status quo or a clarification that SIR would be contingent on the outcome of the ongoing petitions at the Supreme Court. The bench responded by stating that should they align with the petitioners’ stance, they possess the power to quash the SIR process. The court also instructed the petitioners’ counsel to present a detailed schedule by Tuesday, noting its intention to hear the case on a daily basis.
This ongoing legal dialogue highlights the complexities of voter identification in India, a critical element in safeguarding democratic processes and ensuring that all eligible citizens have access to their voting rights. The inclusion of various forms of identification like Aadhaar, EPIC, and ration cards may significantly impact the political landscape as the nation prepares for upcoming elections.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sir-in-bihar-accept-aadhaar-along-with-voter-id-sc-tells-ec/articleshow/122961065.cms
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Publish Date: 2025-07-29 02:34:00
