The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Election Commission of India to publish the list of 65 lakh names deleted from the draft electoral rolls in Bihar after the (SIR) special Intensive revision of voter lists.
The Election Commission had earlier said it was not bound by law to list the names excluded from the electoral rolls after the SIR.
The list is to be displayed on district level websites, noticeboard of all panchayat bhawans and the block development and panchayat offices.and include the reason for non-inclusion in the draft roll, the Supreme Court bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said.
The bench was hearing a bunch of petitions filed against the Election Commission’s special intensive revision of voter lists.
About the list, legal news website Bar and Bench quoted the court as saying: “Wide publicity shall be given in vernacular language newspapers which have maximum circulation and it must be broadcast and telecast on Doordarshan and other channels. The district election officer if they have social media handle shall display the notice there as well.”
Those whose names have been deleted “may submit their claims along with copy of their Aadhaar cards,” Bar and Bench quoted the court as saying.
The Opposition led by the Congress has been up in arms against the Election Commission’s exercise and called it an exercise in mass disenfranchisement.