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Bihar electoral roll revision: EC tells SC 'Aadhaar card not a proof of citizenship'

Bihar electoral roll revision: EC tells SC 'Aadhaar card not a proof of citizenship'

Mint10-07-2025
Bihar electoral roll revision: The Election Commission told the Supreme Cpurt on Thursday that 'Aadhaar card not a proof of citizenship'. The ECI made the comments while responding to the court's question why Aadhaar was excluded from the Bihar Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The Supreme Court was hearing on a batch of pleas challenging the Election Commission's decision to undertake a special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound Bihar.
The case was heard by a partial working day (PWD) bench comprising Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi. Senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi, KK VenuGopal and Maninder Singh representated the Election Commission. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan appeared for one of the petitioners.
The bone of contention in the July 10 hearing was the provision in the EC's June 24 directive that sought a large section of people in Bihar to prove their Indian citizenship to take part in the Bihar Asembly Elections 2025.
The last 'Intensive Revision' in Bihar took place in 2003. The Election Commission said the people whose names were in the voter list till 2003 do not need to submit any document, as there was a detailed revision at that time.
However, other (enrolled after 2003) must provide one or more documents from a list of 11 (along with a pre-filled enumeration form for existing electors) to establish their date and/or place of birth – which, in turn, is used to determine citizenship.
Those not listed in the 2003 roll will need to submit a document for their date of birth/place of birth as per their birthdate as follows: individuals born before 1st July 1987, to provide a document for themselves, those born between 1st July 1987 and 2nd December 2004, to include documents for themselves and one parent, Individuals born after 2nd December 2004, to submit documents for themselves and both parents.
Electors whose parents' names were on the Electoral Roll as of 01.01.2003, need not submit any additional documents relating to their parents, PTI reported.
The Supreme Court questioned the timing of the EC's electoral roll revision. The court told the poll body that it should have acted early if it wanted to check citizenship under SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar. 'Isn't it too late now for that?,' the court reportedly said.
The Bench was quoted by Live Law as saying, "There is nothing wrong in you [EC] purging electoral rolls through an intensive exercise in order to see that non-citizens don't remain on the role. But if you decide only a couple of months before a proposed election..."
The SUpreme Court also asked the Election Commission: 'Why are you getting into citizenship issue in special revision of electoral rolls in Bihar? It is domain of MHA [Ministry of Homes Affairs].'
The Election Commission said the citizenship is required to be checked for being voter in India under Article 326 of Constitution.
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‘Purchased' honorary titles, international web of shell firms: How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy for 9 yrs
‘Purchased' honorary titles, international web of shell firms: How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy for 9 yrs

Indian Express

time18 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

‘Purchased' honorary titles, international web of shell firms: How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy for 9 yrs

A pristine white bungalow, four flashy sedans with blue and white diplomatic number plates parked in the driveway, national flags from across the world and a man posing as an 'ambassador'. When Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) raided the 'Embassy of Westarctica' in Ghaziabad's upscale Kavi Nagar neighbourhood earlier this week, they came across an elaborate con job. Far from an an ordinary swindler, Harsh Vardhan Jain, the accused, had been running a fake embassy of a country that doesn't exist, without raising any suspicion for the last nine years. Jain had planned every detail meticulously to build this façade, according to the police. He had allegedly printed fake press cards, doctored photos with top dignitaries and even 'purchased' honorary titles from self-proclaimed micronations. The preliminary investigation, police say, has revealed that Jain was running a multi-nation scam. 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Election Commission like cheating cricket umpire that cost Congress 2017, 2022 Gujarat polls: Rahul Gandhi to party leaders
Election Commission like cheating cricket umpire that cost Congress 2017, 2022 Gujarat polls: Rahul Gandhi to party leaders

Indian Express

time20 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

Election Commission like cheating cricket umpire that cost Congress 2017, 2022 Gujarat polls: Rahul Gandhi to party leaders

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday likened the Election Commission (EC) to a 'cheating cricket umpire' that cost his party the 2017 and 2022 Assembly polls in the state, senior leaders of the party said. The remarks were made by Gandhi in Anand district, at the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee's (GPCC) inaugural session of a three-day training summit for newly-appointed district and city unit presidents of the party. Calling Gujarat the Gangotri (origin) of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Gandhi told the leaders present that the Congress has to work hard in the state and bring out the 'truth' about the ruling party's 'bad governance'. According to senior Congress leaders, Gandhi said that for years, the Congress in Gujarat had been 'like a cricketer, who wondered why he was adjudged out during his batting'. 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Congress's Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Gujarat Assembly, Tushar Chaudhary told this newspaper that Gandhi emphasised that the party leaders must begin verification of voter rolls in advance. Chaudhary said, 'Rahulji mentioned the fact that in 2017 and 2022, manipulated voter lists had a lot to do with the results… He enquired with us as to when we actually receive the electoral rolls. When he learnt that we receive it either on the last day or five days in advance, he said you can't do anything or verify the list in such a short time…' Quoting Gandhi, Chaudhary said, 'The issue of fake voters being added to electoral rolls is changing the results… incidents of 1.5 lakh fake voters found in Karnataka or Maharashtra were mentioned. So, it is a fact that when the updated electoral rolls are received, they have new voters who are of much older age whereas it should be young, first-time voters added to the list.' In his address, Gandhi said the BJP's working model is like a temple. 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'Rahulji said that it has always been a presumption that if the BJP has to be defeated, one has to work hard in UP, Rajasthan and Karnataka. But the fact is that the BJP's gangotri (origin) is in Gujarat and one has to work hard in the state and bring out the truth about their bad governance. The cleaning of the Ganga of politics can be done from Gujarat…,' GPCC Spokesperson Manish Doshi said. GPCC President Amit Chavda said Gandhi has urged the leaders to 'go in the midst' of the people and 'raise voice' in the support of those fighting injustice. 'The three-day camp (in Anand) is part of Sangathan Srujan Abhiyan and Rahulji has urged that the party must be strengthened from root to top in Gujarat and that it should be oriented towards service to people. New leaders should be given the opportunity to work… The party wants to go in the midst of the people to fight the battle against injustice as in the last 30 years of the BJP's rule in the state, there has been a government of fear, coercion and corruption with officer-raj and commission-raj going on in Gujarat,' Chavda said. 'The presence of Rahulji on the first day of the three-day training camp shows how important Gujarat is for him. He has made it clear that in any district, any complaint of the people or any injustice must be taken up by the Congress. Wherever it is necessary, the state leaders, or Rahulji himself, will be by the side of the people… He told the leaders to go to the people. Take up issues related to misadministration and injustice and raise voice against it. On the last day of the Shibir (camp), the party will also put forth the entire roadmap for the state before the high command as well as the people,' Chavda added. Gandhi, Congress leaders said, also met the members of the milk cooperative unions and urged them to 'inform him whatever is needed to be done and if they need him to raise pressing issues related to cooperatives in the Lok Sabha.' Gandhi is the LoP in the Lok Sabha. The families of some of the 21 victims of the Mujpur-Gambhira bridge collapse also arrived at the venue in Anand, where the Congress leader was meeting the milk cooperatives, to make representations to him. According to Congress leaders, the kin of the victims were 'stopped by the police' from meeting Gandhi but later, they were allowed to proceed and make petitions regarding the incident. Doshi said, 'The police said that the victims could not be allowed to meet Gandhi as they did not have a security pass… At first, they were turned away but eventually, we managed to get them to meet Rahul ji, who expressed his solidarity with the families and assured them of assistance in their fight for justice in the incident.'

India unlikely to import US genetically modified agricultural items under trade deal: Sources
India unlikely to import US genetically modified agricultural items under trade deal: Sources

Indian Express

time20 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

India unlikely to import US genetically modified agricultural items under trade deal: Sources

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