BJP on Sunday criticised reports suggesting that the Supreme Court had advocated the use of Aadhaar as a single document to gain voter enrolment during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls. BJP IT Department head Amit Malviya claimed that Aadhaar just serves as proof of identity and residence not citizenship and claimed that explaining the court’s order otherwise undermines legal provisions.
Amit Malviya noted that Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act disqualifies non-citizens from voter registration. He also highlighted that the Supreme Court itself clarified on August 12 that Aadhaar is not a legal document to establish citizenship.
According to him, around 65 lakh names including alleged fake, deceased, Bangladeshi, and Rohingya entries were removed from Bihar’s initial voter list. However, only approximately 84,305 objections have been filed so far, constituting just 1.3% of the deletions.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court had indeed permitted citizens whose names were deleted during the SIR to submit Aadhaar or any of the 11 other accepted documents to challenge exclusion and seek re-inclusion. The apex court also instructed political parties to position their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to assist genuine voters in filing claims.
The Election Commission of India, responding to the court, reiterated that Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards cannot alone verify eligibility during the SIR, highlighting that these documents do not prove citizenship. However, the SC decision allows Aadhaar to be used alongside other documents to support restoration claims.
Opposition parties have welcomed the SC’s directive. Leaders like Tejashwi Yadav and others viewed the judgment as justification of their concerns that the SIR could disenfranchise vulnerable groups.
In response, the BJP maintains that the integrity of the electoral process is being safeguarded: “Only Indian citizens will elect the next government not foreigners,” Amit Malviya stated.
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