By Pm Ist,Sagar Malik

Copyright dnaindia

The Supreme Court on Monday said it can nullify the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter list in Bihar if any illegality is found, reiterating its stand on the controversial exercise. A top court bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymlaya Bagchi said it believes the ECI — being a constitutional body — is obeying the law and the mandatory rules in place. It, however, warned of intervention in case a illegality is discovered. “What difference will the final publication of the list make to us if we are satisfied there is some illegality?” Justice Kant commented.

What happened in today’s SC hearing?

The Supreme Court was hearing a petition seeking modification of its earlier order where it had directed the EC to accept Aadhaar as a valid identity proof for inclusion in the voter roll. In an earlier hearing, the SC had ordered that Aadhaar be added to the list of ID proofs being accepted by the poll panel. The apex court, however, noted that Aadhaar could not be used to establish citizenship. The Supreme Court has now set October 7 as the date for hearing final arguments on the validity of the Bihar SIR.”

What is SIR what’s the controversy over it?

SIR is a time-bound verification process conducted by the ECI, aimed at ensuring accuracy in voter lists. It involves including all eligible voters, removing ineligible ones (such as those who may have died or moved to another location), and correcting any discrepancies. The Congress, with support from other Opposition parties, has sharply criticised the ECI over the timing and intent of the exercise as it comes just months ahead of assembly elections in Bihar. LoP Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders claim the move is being carried out to rob the poor and people from minority communities of their voting rights. The ECI has vehemently denied the allegations and demanded a public apology from Gandhi. Elections in Bihar are due to be held by the end of this year.