The Supreme Court has extended to Tamil Nadu the ambit of its Bengal-related directive to the Election Commission that it display the names of voters called for scrutiny over “logical discrepancies” during the SIR drive.

The court asked the EC to display the identities of 1.72 crore such Tamil Nadu voters at all panchayat bhavans and block offices across the state.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a plea by DMK leader R.S. Bharati contending that 1.72 crore electors in Tamil Nadu had been excluded from the draft SIR rolls citing “logical discrepancies”.

The bench orally observed that its order relating to Bengal, passed on January 19, should be implemented in all other states where the SIR is being carried out.

“Once we have laid down some uniform guidelines for Bengal, there is no reason it cannot be applied in Tamil Nadu. So no order will be required,” CJI Kant had remarked on Wednesday.

On Thursday, while hearing the Tamil Nadu case, the bench said the order passed on January 19 may also be implemented in other states by the poll panel. The apex court also directed the Tamil Nadu government and its officials, including district collectors, to “meticulously” ensure that all necessary staff and infrastructural facilities are provided to the poll panel in the discharge of its duties and orders passed by the bench.

On January 19, questioning the Election Commission’s rationale of scrutinising an estimated 1.25 crore voters’ credentials in Bengal based on “logical discrepancies”, the top court had directed the poll panel to display at all panchayat bhavans or block offices across Bengal the names and identities of such electors and grant them 10 days to respond.

The court had also directed the EC to accept Class X admit cards as proof of identity and said booth-level agents could assist those called over logical discrepancies.