New Delhi, August 22 — The Indian National Congress on Friday hailed the Supreme Court’s directive concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, asserting that democracy had “survived a brutal assault” from the Election Commission of India (ECI). The party claimed the apex court’s intervention had exposed and discredited the poll body’s conduct in the matter.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, directed the ECI to allow excluded voters to submit claims both online and offline during the SIR exercise. The court also mandated that claim forms may be submitted with an Aadhaar number or any one of 11 officially recognized identity documents.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, welcomed the ruling, stating that the ECI’s earlier approach had been “obstructionist and contrary to the interests of the voters.” He emphasized that the Supreme Court had laid down “guardrails” to ensure a more inclusive revision process by involving political parties directly.
The party further pointed to the Court’s earlier order on August 14, which had struck down the ECI’s decision to withhold the list of deleted voters. The Court directed that the list be published along with reasons for each deletion, reinforcing transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
Expressing concern over the exclusion of nearly 65 lakh voters, the Court instructed the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar to implead political parties in the proceedings and required them to file status reports on the claim forms they had facilitated. Additionally, booth-level agents of political parties submitting physical claim forms must be issued acknowledgment receipts.
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the ECI, requested a 15-day window to demonstrate that no wrongful exclusions had occurred. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on September 8.
The Congress party described the verdict as a decisive moment for electoral integrity, stating that the ECI’s “G2 puppeteers stand decisively defeated.” The party reiterated its commitment to safeguarding democratic processes and ensuring voter inclusion across the country.
