New Delhi: In a significant development ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to accept the Aadhaar card as a valid proof of identity for voter re-verification during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. With this, Aadhaar has become the 12th officially valid document for establishing voter identity.
Supreme Court Allows Aadhaar as 12th Document
A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi ruled that Aadhaar must be included alongside the 11 other documents already recognised for inclusion or exclusion from the electoral rolls.
The Election Commission had opposed this, arguing that 99.6% of Bihar’s 7.24 crore voters had already submitted valid documents, making Aadhaar unnecessary at this stage. However, the court overruled the objection, noting that Aadhaar should be treated at par with other IDs, while cautioning that it cannot be used to establish citizenship.
Forgery Concerns Addressed
Responding to the EC’s concerns that Aadhaar cards could be forged, the bench clarified that election officials are empowered to verify the genuineness of Aadhaar cards. The court further observed that forgery risks exist with all documents permitted in the process, not just Aadhaar.
The court also asked the poll panel to explain notices allegedly issued to officials who had previously refused Aadhaar as proof of identity.
Political Backlash Over Bihar Voter Revision
The Special Intensive Revision of voter lists in Bihar has triggered political uproar. Opposition parties, including the Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), allege that the exercise is a ploy to disenfranchise lakhs of voters, particularly from communities supporting them.
The Congress has accused the ECI and BJP of collusion to manipulate the voter rolls, calling the SIR a “voter fraud exercise.”
The Election Commission, however, has defended the revision, insisting it is within the framework of the Constitution and electoral laws. It said the revision process was essential to weed out illegal voters, including alleged Nepali and Bangladeshi citizens.
Court Flags Trust Deficit in Bihar SIR
Earlier, on August 22, the apex court observed that confusion surrounding the SIR was “largely a trust issue.” It had directed the Bihar State Legal Services Authority to deploy paralegal volunteers to help voters file claims and objections.
The SIR, conducted for the first time since 2003, reduced the number of registered voters in Bihar from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore. During the September 1 hearing, the EC told the court that claims and objections could still be filed but would only be considered after finalisation of the draft rolls.
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