Supreme Court Sets Timeline for Bihar Electoral Roll Challenge

The Supreme Court scheduled hearings for pleas challenging the Election Commission's electoral roll revision in Bihar. Concerns were raised about potential omissions from the draft list, affecting citizens' voting rights. The Court emphasized the importance of abiding by law and upheld the validity of Aadhaar and voter IDs.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday established a timeline to address numerous pleas challenging the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. Scheduled hearings will occur on August 12 and 13, as a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi presides over the matter.

Petitioners, represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Prashant Bhushan, have voiced concerns that the draft list, due to be published on August 1, may exclude eligible voters, thereby denying them their right to vote. The bench urged the petitioners to submit their written arguments by August 8, facilitating a thorough review.

The Supreme Court highlighted the Election Commission's constitutional mandate to adhere to legal standards and assured petitioners that grievances could be addressed in court. It recognized the 'presumption of genuineness' of Aadhaar and voter ID cards, reaffirming these as valid documents for the ongoing revision.