New Delhi, Feb. 22: The Election Commission has refused to stop electoral rolls carrying photographs of Muslim women, who follow the purdah system, from being circulated among political parties and polling agents.

“As a safeguard against misuse, only the hard copy of photo electoral rolls with images are given to recognised political parties under the Registration of Electors’ Rules, 1990,” poll panel counsel Meenakshi Arora told the Supreme Court today.

M. Ajmal Khan, whose father Munavar Khan is general secretary of Madurai’s All Muslim Jamath Rights Protection Council, had filed a petition against the practice of circulating such photo rolls for verification.

The panel, asked to put forward its views, said “it can be presumed that such entities (parties and poll agents) are responsible persons and shall take steps to prevent its misuse”. Also, such photos are stamp-sized and difficult to “morph” or “manipulate”.

The soft copies (stored in computers) of the rolls do not have such photos, nor are hard copies given to public for a fee, the commission said. Even the Election Commission website doesn’t have the photos, the panel said, dismissing suggestions that the photo rolls were being circulated in an indiscreet manner.

The commission said the circulation of such rolls did not violate the community’s right to religion under Article 25 the Constitution. “Article 25 does not confer any unfettered right to religious practice but merely protects the essential practice of any religion,” it said.