SC Signals SIR May Include Cross-Border Migration in Bihar Voter Rolls
SC Signals SIR May Include Cross-Border Migration in Bihar Voter Rolls
Supreme Court hints migration could cross borders in Bihar's SIR, prompting citizenship checks and careful roll updates.
The Supreme Court on Thursday said that the idea of verifying citizenship may not be alien to the notification for holding special intensive revision (SIR), as the term migration cited by the Election Commission of India for revising rolls could include cross-border movement. The bench clarified these are not final conclusions but to evoke strong arguments for a fuller understanding.
Hearing petitions challenging the Bihar SIR, which some allege disenfranchises citizens on mere suspicion, the lawyers argued that if citizenship must be determined, it should be stated clearly in the June 24 order declaring SIR. Senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, appearing for one of the petitioners, pointed out that migration as a ground was not necessarily limited to domestic movement. The bench replied that migration can be trans-country, driven by livelihood, education and other factors, and warned against using plenary power to enable a booth-level officer to strike someone off the rolls without due process. The court stressed that the idea of citizenship may be alien to the SIR notification, but migration may not have an inbuilt domestic import, noting that there is cross-border movement in all economic gradients and even brain drain.
The judges emphasized the need for the Election Commission to articulate its approach clearly, insisting that the nationwide roll update should be thorough and rooted in statutory procedures rather than relying on arbitrary checks. The exchange signaled that the hearing could shape how Bihar’s voter lists are updated and how citizenship verifications are conducted, with implications for future revisions across the country.
Cover image source: SC says ‘migration’ in SIR order may include crossings into India 🔗
