The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to disclose by August 19 the identity of 65 lakh voters whose names were deleted from the electoral roll. It also directed the ECI to publish details of 65 lakh deleted voters with reasons for deletion, at the office of district returning officer.

The apex court has also asked for a compliance report by August 22.

The ECI has agreed to share the names of voters deleted in Bihar SIR after the Supreme Court questioned it about the same.

On August 13, the Supreme Court said that the electoral rolls cannot remain ‘static’ and there is bound to be a revision. It added that the expanded list of acceptable documents of identity from 7 to 11 for the SIR exercise was “voter-friendly and not exclusionary”.

While disagreeing with a submission that the SIR in Bihar had no legal basis and ought to be quashed, the apex court said the EC had residual power to conduct the exercise as it deemed fit.

Why can’t you disclose names: Supreme Court asks Election Commission

While hearing a plea challenging Election Commission’s decision to conduct the SIR in Bihar, the Supreme Court asked the polling body, “Why can’t you put these names on a display board or on a website? Those aggrieved can take remedial measures within 30 days.”

The top Court further stated that it doesn’t want citizens to be dependent on political parties and urged the ECI to consider issuing a public notice specifying the details of websites, place, or the platform where the information about dead, migrated or shifted electors is shared.

Election Commission replied saying the list of names of persons who have died, migrated, or shifted has already been given to the workers of political parties. It further informed that around 6.5 crore people do not need to submit any documents for SIR in the poll-bound state as per conservative estimates.

“Caught between struggle of political parties, if they win EVM is good, if they lose EVM is bad,” ECI tells Supreme Court

The Election Commission of India told the Supreme Court on Thursday that it is “caught between the struggle of political parties” during a hearing on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar.

The polling body told the apex court that electronic voting machines (EVMs) are good if a political party wins, but if a party loses, they suddenly turn bad.

“Caught between struggle of political parties, if they win EVM is good, if they lose EVM is bad,” the Election Commission informed before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, which was hearing a petition challenging ECI’s decision to conduct the SIR in poll-bound Bihar.

Opposition questioned authenticity of SIR in Bihar

Leaders of opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress, and the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), have challenged the electoral roll revision drive in Bihar.

Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday challenged the Narendra Modi government at the Centre over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. Abhishek said that if the Centre supports the SIR proposed by the Election Commission (ECI), then on moral grounds the Lok Sabha should be dissolved and fresh elections should be held.

The Trinamool Congress’s All India General Secretary said, “The Election Commission says that the voter list is wrong and full of irregularities. The question is, the Lok Sabha elections were held on this voter list a year ago. If the Indian government really supports this statement of the Election Commission, then the government should also come forward. For the sake of morality, the Lok Sabha should be dissolved first. If someone really supports SIR, then we have to say that the people of this country are being cheated.”

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