Key Points

In a rejoinder to the reply filed by the Election Commission of India (ECI), ADR said the 11 documents included in the approved list of documents are equally susceptible to being procured using fake and false documentation.

"The fact that Aadhaar card is one of the documents accepted for obtaining Permanent Residence Certificate, OBC/SC/ST Certificate and for passport – makes ECI's rejection of Aadhaar (which is the most widely held document) under the instant SIR order patently absurd," said the ADR.

The NGO also raised concerns over the discretionary powers of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and the lack of a defined procedure that could allow them to act arbitrarily.

It also alleged that electors whose names are being removed from electoral rolls have not been given enough time to appeal against the ECI decision.

On July 10, the Supreme Court started hearing pleas challenging the SIR in Bihar but refused to stop the ECI's exercise in the poll-bound state.

The NGO, in its rejoinder, alleged that media reports have pointed out that enumeration forms in Bihar were being filled in the absence of electors.

"With elections set to be held in October-November 2025, there is no time for a large number of voters, who do not have documents but have submitted a form and whose names do not find a mention in the draft roll, to get themselves included in the rolls. Moreover, the impact of the deletion of migrated electors can be substantial if they are clustered within a few constituencies and demographics, said the NGO.

The NGO said that when the ECI carried out an exercise like SIR in Assam, they said that it is not the job of the ERO to confirm citizenship, but here, in the case of Bihar, their stand is different.

It also highlighted concerns of political parties over the addition of non-existent voters, deletion of genuine voters supporting the Opposition parties and the issue of casting of votes after closure of polls.

Earlier, the ECI defended its decision to ask people for proof of Indian citizenship to include their names in the voter list.

The Commission said that under Article 326 and the Representation of the People Act, it is its responsibility to ensure that only the names of Indian citizens are included in the voter list.

- IANS