New Delhi [India], July 11 : As Supreme Court of India allowed the Election Commission of India to continue with the Special Intensive Revision of Bihar electoral rolls, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi representing the petitioners challenging ECI's directive said that all the "merits" remain open to them and court has given the time to reply by the end of July.
He mentioned that the Supreme Court "clearly" suggested the inclusion of three documents, namely Aadhar, EC voter ID, and ration card, to be considered by the EC during the enumeration procedure.
"Since I am the lead counsel in the Supreme Court for eight political parties and also for Ms Mahua Moitra, I will not speak elaborately on the merits of the matter. After extensive arguments, the honourable Supreme Court has clearly suggested that there are three documents namely Aadhar, EC voter ID and ration card they also considered by the EC in the process of enumeration. The two, they were alleged us to be excluded all over Bihar. This is a significant advance. All other merits remain open and time for reply by the end of July has been given", Abhishek Manu Singhvi told ANI.
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Election Commission to continue with its exercise of conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.
A bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi did not stay the SIR process but asked the ECI to consider allowing Aadhaar, ration cards, and electoral photo identity cards as admissible documents to prove voter identity during the SIR of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar.
"We are of the prima facie opinion that in the interest of justice, the Election Commission will also include documents like Aadhaar, Ration Card, Voter ID card, etc.. It is for the ECI to decide whether it wants to accept the documents or not, and if it does not, then provide reasons for its decision, which shall be sufficient to satisfy the petitioners. Meanwhile, petitioners are not pressing for an interim stay," the bench stated in its order.
The petitions challenging the ECI decision were filed by RJD MP Manoj Jha, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), PUCL, activist Yogendra Yadav, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, and former Bihar MLA Mujahid Alam.