Bihar SIR: SC says confusion 'largely trust issue'; extends claims window beyond Sept 1

The Supreme Court on Monday (September 1) said that the confusion over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is "largely trust issue" and asked political parties to "activate" themselves. The court has also allowed the filing of claims, objections, and complaints regarding exclusion from Bihar draft rolls to continue beyond the September 1 deadline.

The apex court was hearing pleas of RJD and AIMIM seeking extension of the deadline to file claims and objections in Bihar SIR.

What EC said

The Election Commission (EC) told the court that claims, objections, and corrections in the draft electoral roll prepared in Bihar SIR exercise can be filed beyond September 1, but the same would be considered once the electoral roll is finalised.

Also read: Congress counters EC’s ‘no objection’ claim, says it lodged 89 lakh complaints on SIR

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi noted the submission of the EC, which said claims and objections could be filed till the last date of nomination forms in each assembly constituency.

The top court, while terming the confusion over the Bihar SIR as “largely trust issue”, directed the state legal service authority to deploy paralegal volunteers to assist individual voters and political parties in filing claims and objections to the draft roll, which was published on August 1.

Also read: Bihar SIR: Is EC using ‘citizenship doubts’ to disenfranchise 3 lakh voters? | Capital Beat

Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for EC, said, “Any extension of deadline will lead to disruption of the entire exercise and finalisation of final electoral roll.” The poll panel further said 99.5 per cent of the 2.74 crore electors in the draft electoral roll had filed the eligibility documents and countered the claims of RJD, which alleged of having filed 36 claims, and said the party had filed only 10 such claims.

RJD's claims 'duly accepted'

Dwivedi futher said the 36 claims that RJD party mentioned in its petition had also been "duly accepted".

The poll panel said it will be issuing notices within seven days to those electors whose documents were incomplete, calling SIR a "continuing exercise".

Most claims and objections filed by political parties, the EC said, were for exclusion, not inclusion, of names from voter rolls.

The Bench, on the other hand, directed the paralegal volunteers to file confidential reports with the district judges concerned, and the same would be considered on September 8.

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