Bihar SIR: Supreme Court directs ECI to accept Aadhaar card as 12th identity document

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to consider the Aadhaar card as valid proof for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of electoral rolls in Bihar for the upcoming assembly elections. The Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar as the 12th idendity document.

There are 11 documents that can be submitted as identity proof as prescribed by the Election Commission. Aadhaar was not included in this. The Supreme Court's direction was after this. "Aadhaar card is not proof of citizenship. But keeping in view Section 23(4) of the Representation of People's Act, it is one document for the purpose of establishing the identity of any person," the bench comprising Justices Suryakant and Joymalya Bagchi clarified.

The bench also observed that no one wants to include illegal immigrants in the electoral rolls. "Citizens of the country have the right to ensure that their names are on the electoral rolls. But those who falsely claim citizenship do not have the right to remain in the electoral rolls," the Supreme Court said.

The Election Commission reiterated in the court that 99.6 per cent of the 7.24 crore voters in the draft electoral rolls have submitted their documents.