The Supreme Court made a significant comment on the SIR before the Bihar elections, saying

New Delhi: In a significant observation on Tuesday, the Supreme Court stated that the SIR matter falls squarely within the jurisdiction of the Central Election Commission. A bench headed by Justice Surya Kant made this observation while hearing a petition. The court also added that some people may be living in the country illegally and may not want to come forward for fear of their identities being exposed. The Supreme Court urged the central government and relevant parties to at least provide a list of those who have actually been affected by the SIR.

“The Election Commission has its own machinery; let it function.”
During the hearing, the Supreme Court clarified that it will not interfere with other states’ Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. The court stated that the SIR is solely the responsibility of the Election Commission and its prerogative. During the hearing, the court remarked, “Why should we take everything into our own hands? The Election Commission has its own machinery; let it function.’ The court questioned the petitioners as to why they wanted the Supreme Court to take over all the work.

The court’s important comment on people living in the country without permission
The court also said that some people living in the country without permission would be afraid to come forward because their identity could be exposed if their names were removed from the voter list. The Supreme Court directed the petitioners to submit a list of at least 100 people who claim that their names were removed from the voter list but have not received any order, preventing them from appealing. The court said, “We need an illustrative list of those who have this complaint.”

The Supreme Court gave this oral suggestion to the Election Commission
The SC verbally suggested to the EC to prepare a detailed note, mentioning the complete details of the 3.66 lakh names removed and the 2.1 lakh names added later, and the reasons for the same. Clarifying its position on the matter, the court emphasized that the SIR is the jurisdiction of the Election Commission and should be allowed to function independently. The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 9th. The SC’s observation assumes significance given the heightened attention given the SIR issue surrounding the Bihar elections.