The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court’s observations permitting the Election Commission of India (ECI) to go ahead with its special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, calling it a "constitutional mandate" and a "befitting reply" to Opposition critics.

The BJP also demanded an apology from Congress MP and leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, who had opposed the exercise and raised fears of voter disenfranchisement ahead of the assembly elections in Bihar.

“This makes it clear that these leaders have no faith in the Supreme Court,” BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia told reporters. “Will Tejashwi Yadav accept the Supreme Court's observations or not?”

The apex court did raise questions about the timing of the drive in poll-bound Bihar. Hearing multiple petitions on Thursday, including those filed by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, RJD MP Manoj Jha, activist Yogendra Yadav, and the Association for Democratic Reforms, the bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi said the EC must consider Aadhaar, voter ID and ration cards as valid documents for inclusion in the rolls.

Justice Dhulia noted that while the EC had listed 11 documents for verification, Aadhaar was excluded, despite being widely used.

“We feel since Aadhaar has been taken as a solid proof for inclusion in electoral rolls as per section 23, it should be included,” Justice Bagchi added, also asking why the poll panel was resisting Aadhaar’s inclusion.

Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, argued that the Election Commission's exercise was a citizenship screening, which falls outside its constitutional authority.

“They say if you don’t fill a form, you cannot vote. How can this be allowed?” Sibal said.

Singhvi contended that excluding Aadhaar and ration cards could result in widespread disenfranchisement. “Disenfranchisement of one voter impacts democracy and the basic structure,” he said.

Despite these concerns, the court permitted the EC to continue with the revision, which it described as within the Commission’s constitutional domain, while fixing the next hearing for July 28.

Responding to the court's stance, the BJP lashed out at the Opposition, accusing it of spreading misinformation and undermining constitutional institutions.

“The Supreme Court has made it clear that the SIR is about transparency and fairness in the voting process,” Bhatia said, adding that Rahul Gandhi must answer why he chose to protest in Patna just a day before the Supreme Court was scheduled to hear the case.

(With inputs from PTI)