Regarding the important interim order given by the Supreme Court in the context of special intensive revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar, the Congress said on Saturday (July 12, 2025) that confusion and propaganda is being spread now, while the Election Commission and other concerned parties have no option but to accept it at present.
Senior party leader Abhishek Singhvi said that the interim order clarified that Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration card will be accepted as documents. The Supreme Court on Thursday (July 10, 2025) allowed the Election Commission to continue the special intensive revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar and described it as “constitutional obligation”.
Next hearing will be held in court on July 28
A bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi had also questioned the time of this exercise and said that during SIR in Bihar, Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration card can be considered as documents. The next hearing of the case is to be held on July 28.
Senior advocate Singhvi, who advocated in the case on behalf of several constituents of the ‘India’ alliance, told reporters that he would not comment on the merits of the case pending in the court, but wants to clarify that there is no need to spread confusion and propaganda about the interim order.
Identity card can also be ignored
Singhvi said that the SIR exercise started through any legal amendment, but through an administrative order and only one point is being emphasized on citizenship, while the Election Commission does not have the jurisdiction to see the test of citizenship.
Singhvi, taking a sarcasm, said, ‘Even if you sneeze for the last 15 years, we have to show the basis, if you go anywhere, Aadhaar is asked, but the Election Commission can ignore it. Similarly, he can also ignore the voter ID card issued by himself and the ration card can also be ignored.
SIR is not mentioned anywhere in the law
He said that under the order related to SIR, the documents of about five crore voters are to be investigated in Bihar, but it seems almost impossible to carry out this exercise within two and a half months. Singhvi, while emphasizing this, said that there is no mention of SIR anywhere in the law, only ‘IR’ means intensive revision.
He said that there was an intense revision in 2003 and since then there have been about 10 elections in Bihar and the Commission had no objection to them. If the Commission had to do this, it could have been started from December after the Bihar assembly elections. He questioned why it was started two months before the election?
There is no option before the commission at the moment
According to Singhvi, the court has clarified that Aadhaar card, voter ID card and ration card will be considered. In response to a question, the Congress leader said that there is no alternative to the Commission except accepting the interim order at present.
He said that the opposition has requested to cancel the SIR’s exercise, but it is not yet the turn of this point to be decided in the hearing. The senior Congress leader said that the court has given a very important interim order. Many points are pending, but it is not right to speculate from now.
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