Congress Demands Aadhaar in Bihar Voter Revision
The Congress party has slammed the Election Commission’s decision to reject Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards as valid documents for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s voter list. The party accused the EC of creating unnecessary barriers for genuine voters and ignoring practical realities on the ground.
Supreme Court Asks EC to Consider Widely Held IDs
Following petitions challenging the EC’s document guidelines, the Supreme Court asked the commission to consider these commonly used identification proofs. Congress leaders argued that the EC cannot ignore the court’s directive and must include Aadhaar and voter ID in the verification process.
EC Defends Its Position
The Election Commission has stood firm, stating that documents like ration cards or Aadhaar are not conclusive proof of Indian citizenship. It added that voter ID cards only show registration and not citizenship status. According to the EC, the Constitution empowers it to ensure that only eligible citizens are enrolled in the electoral roll.
Migrants and Workers at Disadvantage
Concerns have been raised over the exclusion of nearly four crore voters from the list of acceptable documents, especially migrants working outside Bihar. Public hearings have revealed that many Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are asking for irrelevant documents, creating confusion among voters, particularly among women and daily wage workers.
EC Says Citizenship Not Affected
The Election Commission has clarified that exclusion from the electoral roll does not affect a person’s citizenship status. It stated that the aim of the SIR exercise is to clean and update the rolls ahead of the state assembly elections, not to decide citizenship.
