The Supreme Court on Thursday began hearing multiple petitions challenging the Election Commission’s decision to conduct a special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in Bihar, ahead of the upcoming polls.In a sharp remark, the Supreme Court questioned the Commission’s approach, saying “Why are you getting into the issue of citizenship during a special revision of electoral rolls?That falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), not the Election Commission.”The bench raised concerns over the exclusion of Aadhaar cards from the list of accepted documents during the revision process.The court asked the EC to clarify its position on why Aadhaar is not being considered, given its widespread use as proof of identity.Over 10 petitions, including one by the Association for Democratic Reforms and several opposition MPs, seek to quash the EC’s order.The EC informed the court that it had preliminary objections to pleas challenging the exercise, asserting that the revision is being conducted in accordance with the Constitution. The Commission emphasized that the last such comprehensive revision took place in 2003, making the current update both timely and necessary.
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