The Supreme Court has ruled that the SIR case is within the jurisdiction of the Central Election Commission. The court has requested a list of affected individuals from the central government, calling it a serious matter. The next hearing in the case will be on October 9th.
In a significant observation on Tuesday, the Supreme Court stated that the SIR issue falls squarely within the jurisdiction of the Central Election Commission. A bench headed by Justice Surya Kant made this observation while hearing a petition. The court also added that some people may be living in the country illegally but may not want to come forward for fear of their identities being exposed. The Supreme Court urged the central government and relevant parties to at least provide a list of those who have actually been affected by the SIR.
“The Election Commission has its own machinery; let it function.”
During the hearing, the Supreme Court clarified that it will not interfere with other states’ Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of voter lists. The Court stated that SIR is solely the responsibility of the Election Commission and its prerogative. During the hearing, the Court remarked, “Why should we take everything into our own hands? The Election Commission has its own machinery; let it function.” The Court questioned the petitioners as to why they want the Supreme Court to take over.
Court’s Important Comment on People Living Without Permits
The Court also stated that some people living in the country without permission may be afraid to come forward because their identities could be exposed if their names are removed from the voter list. The Supreme Court directed the petitioners to submit a list of at least 100 people who claim their names were removed from the voter list but have not received any orders, preventing them from appealing. The court said, ‘We need an illustrative list of people who have this complaint.’
The Supreme Court gave this oral suggestion to the Election Commission.
The SC verbally advised the EC to prepare a detailed note detailing the 3.66 lakh names removed and the 2.1 million names subsequently added, along with the reasons for the same. Clarifying its position on the matter, the court emphasized that the SIR is the purview of the Election Commission and should be allowed to function independently. The court has scheduled the next hearing on this matter for October 9th. The issue of SIR is being heavily highlighted in the Bihar elections, and this observation by the SC is considered extremely important.
