Leading country into dark cave: RJD MP Manoj Jha accuses EC over vote chori
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Publish details of SIR deletions, take Aadhaar: Supreme Court to Election Commission
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to make public by August 19 the district-wise list of nearly 6.5 million voters whose names have been left out of Bihar's draft electoral rolls during the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, along with specific reasons for their non-inclusion, stressing that transparency was essential to bolster public confidence and safeguard the constitutional right to vote. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said preparing electoral rolls was not a mere administrative formality but a process with direct implications for a citizen's franchise. (FILE) The court also ordered that ECI will accept Aadhaar cards from those whose names do not find place in the draft electoral rolls. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said preparing electoral rolls was not a mere administrative formality but a process with direct implications for a citizen's franchise. 'A fair procedure is a must,' the court observed, warning that the absence of clarity in exclusions could strain public trust. 'Transparency will help create voter confidence…If Poonam Devi has been omitted, Poonam Devi must be able to know that she has been deleted and why she has been deleted…why should voters run after local political parties (to learn whether their names have been struck off)… We don't want citizens' rights to be dependent on political party workers,' the bench told senior counsel Rakesh Dwivedi, who appeared for ECI and concurred with the court's directives. The court's directions virtually rebuff the ECI's stand that it has no statutory duty to prepare or publish a separate list of the nearly 6.5 million names missing from Bihar's draft electoral rolls, or to disclose the reasons for their exclusion, insisting instead that the draft rolls need only be shared with recognised political parties and authorised officials. The Opposition hailed the direction, calling it a 'victory' for democracy and a 'slap' to 'the BJP's Election Commission'. The BJP countered this saying that 'no one was opposed' to SIR, and claimed that the court's directions were a 'disappointment' for the Congress. Responding to the court order, ECI said it was 'already accepting Aadhaar card as proof,' sharing a photograph of the enumeration form used during the SIR. 'List of deceased, voter at two places and permanently shifted is being shared with political parties since July 20, 2025,' it said. In its interim order, passed on a clutch of petitions challenging the Bihar SIR, the bench recorded ECI's agreement that the list of approximately 6.5 million voters, who were on the electoral rolls in 2025 but are missing from the draft rolls, will be displayed on the websites of every district electoral officer (DEO), arranged district-wise and booth-wise, and accessible by the EPIC (Electors Photo ID Card) number. Each entry will specify whether the omission was due to death, migration, duplication, or other reasons, recorded the court, adding notices about the list will be published in widely circulated vernacular newspapers, broadcast on TV and radio, and posted on the official social media handles of DEOs. The order further stated that booth-wise lists, with reasons, will be displayed on notice boards in panchayat or block development offices by booth level officers (BLOs). The lists will be in EPIC-based searchable format to make them easily usable for the public. The bench also directed that the same information be uploaded on the website of the chief electoral officer of Bihar. The bench directed that public notices will explicitly state that aggrieved persons may file claims for inclusion in the final rolls by furnishing an Aadhaar card, in addition to the 11 documents already accepted. During the hearing, the bench repeatedly underlined that voters should not have to approach political parties to find out whether their names had been dropped. Responding to Dwivedi's assertions that ECI has circulated draft rolls to political parties as well as in the relevant areas, the bench asked: 'Can't you have a mechanism where they do not have to run after local political parties? Why don't you put it on the internet also?' The court added that placing the lists in the public domain could counter perceptions of opacity. 'If you bring it in the public domain, the narrative (against the ECI) disappears,' said the bench, also insisting that the public notices be 'layman-friendly' and in simple language, so that ordinary voters could easily understand the process and know how to take remedial steps. On the petitioners' request, made by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan and advocates Vrinda Grover and Prashant Bhushan, that the list be in a 'searchable format', the court agreed. 'It has to be searchable,' said the bench, rejecting Dwivedi's reliance on a 2018 Supreme Court judgment in the Kamal Nath case that said voter lists need not be searchable. The directions came on a bunch of petitions challenging ECI's June 24 directive ordering an SIR ahead of the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. The petitioners that include NGOs, political leaders and activists have alleged that the process, if left unchecked, could disenfranchise millions of legitimate voters and undermine free and fair elections. The petitioners argue SIR's documentation requirements and the omission of Aadhaar from ECI's official list of acceptable proof of citizenship risk excluding genuine voters. Represented through senior advocates including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shadan Farasat, and Shoeb Alam, the petitioners question whether the commission can undertake such an exercise for verifying citizenship, contending that this power lies with the Union government. ECI has defended SIR as necessary to update rolls that have not undergone intensive revision for nearly two decades, citing demographic changes and migration patterns. It maintains that exclusion from the draft rolls is not the same as deletion from the final rolls, and that no name will be removed without notice, hearing, and a reasoned order. In its latest affidavit filed on August 9, the commission stressed that the 1950 Act and the 1960 Rules do not require it to prepare or publish a separate list of the nearly 6.5 million persons not included in the draft rolls, or to state the reasons for each non-inclusion. SIR has become a major political flashpoint ahead of the Bihar assembly elections scheduled for later this year. Opposition parties in the INDIA bloc have staged protests in Parliament and written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking a special discussion on what they call an 'unprecedented' revision so close to state polls. Eight parties, including the Congress, RJD, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), have warned that the exercise could be replicated nationwide. On August 8, Union home minister Amit Shah, addressing a rally in Bihar's Sitamarhi, launched a sharp attack on Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc, accusing them of opposing the revision because 'names of infiltrators' were being removed from the lists. 'Infiltrators have no right to vote. Names of infiltrators must be removed from the voters' lists. But the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress are opposing SIR in Bihar because the names of infiltrators are being deleted,' Shah said.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
President Murmu hails Op Sindoor as fight of humanity against terrorism
Operation Sindoor will go down in history as an example in humanity's fight against terrorism, President Droupadi Murmu told the nation on the eve of the 79th Independence Day on Thursday, as she hailed the test of Atmanirbhar Bharat during the conflict and the nation's unity, which according her, was the most befitting response to those who wanted to divide India. President Droupadi Murmu addresses the nation on the eve of the 79th Independence Day, on Thursday. (PTI) In a 40-minute address, Murmu didn't refer to American tariffs on India but noted a 'stress' in the global economy. She argued that 'all key indicators' show the Indian economy in the pink of health and 'demand at home is pacing ahead'. The President mentioned how welfare schemes were designed to prevent people from slipping back to poverty. She said income inequality and regional disparities were reducing and said astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's space journey had 'fired a whole generation to dream bigger.' Amid the ongoing controversy over the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, the President highlighted India's universal adult franchise that came 'without any restrictions of gender, religion and other factors that had barred many people from voting in other democracies' and said democratic institutions in India had 'strengthened the practice of democracy'. Three months after the India-Pakistan conflict in May, the President, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces, hailed Operation Sindoor and the rise of Atmanirbhar Bharat in the defence sector. Calling India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack as decisive, Murmu told the nation, 'This year we had to face the scourge of terrorism. Killing innocent citizens on holiday in Kashmir was cowardly and utterly inhuman. India responded in a decisive manner and with steely resolve. Operation Sindoor showed that our armed forces are prepared to meet any eventuality when it comes to guarding the nation. With strategic clarity and technical capability, they destroyed terrorist hubs across the border. I believe Operation Sindoor will go down in history as an example in humanity's fight against terrorism.' She hailed the united spirit of India and said the world had taken note of India's stance. 'Operation Sindoor was also a test case of the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission in the defence sector. The outcome has proved that we are on the right path. Our indigenous manufacturing has achieved the critical level that makes us self-sufficient in meeting many of our security requirements. These are landmark achievements in India's defence history since Independence,' Murmu added. Murmu pointed out how a newly independent India opted for universal adult franchise, without restrictions. 'After regaining our freedom, we also became a democracy with universal adult franchise. In other words, we the people of India put the power to shape our destiny in the hands of each of us, without any restrictions of gender, religion and other factors that had barred many people from voting in other democracies. In spite of many challenges, the people of India made a successful transition to democracy. The transition was a natural reflection of our ancient democratic ethos,' she said. 'India had the oldest republics in the world. It is rightly acknowledged as the mother of democracy. When we adopted the Constitution, it provided the edifice of democracy. We built democratic institutions that strengthened the practice of democracy. We prize our Constitution and our democracy above everything else.' The President spoke about India's 'extraordinary progress' in 78 years and told the nation that the achievements in the economic field were noticeable. 'With a GDP growth rate of 6.5% in the last fiscal, India is the fastest growing among the major economies in the world. Even amid stress in the global economy, demand at home is pacing ahead. Inflation has remained under control. Exports are rising. All key indicators show the economy in the pink of health. This is as much due to carefully calibrated reforms and sagacious economic management as due to the hard work and dedication of our workers and farmers,' Murmu said. In her speech, Murmu said that the government was running a series of welfare initiatives for the poor and those who rose above the poverty line but were still vulnerable. 'This is reflected in the rising expenditure on social services. Income inequality is reducing. Regional disparities are also disappearing. The states and regions, earlier known for weaker economic performance, are now showing their true potential and catching up with the front-runners,' she said. 'Our business leaders, small and medium industries and traders have always exhibited a can-do spirit; what was needed was removing the bottlenecks in the path of wealth creation,' said Murmu. She said that the new rail link in Kashmir was a 'major accomplishment' as it will boost trade and tourism in the region. Murmu said that the government considered the basic amenities of life as rightful claims of the citizens and highlighted schemes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission and the Ayushman Bharat that provides cover to more than 55o million people. 'As inequalities in access are removed, the poor and the lower middle-class also benefit from the best possible health-care facilities,' she said. She also spoke about the dramatic advances of the IT sector and how more than half of the total number of digital transactions in the world take place in India. 'Moreover, we are increasing our self-reliance in every area possible. This has added to our self-confidence and increased the momentum of our journey towards becoming Viksit Bharat,' she added.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Will fight for language, says Mamata, slams SIR
Kolkata: CM Mamata Banerjee landed a double blow on the BJP-led Centre on the eve of Independence Day, reiterating that the special intensive revision (SIR) of poll rolls was nothing but an "NRC exercise specifically targeting Bengal" and that no one could snatch the "freedom of speaking in one's language". "How many people in Bengal have passports? How many can provide birth certificates of their parents?" she asked, alleging that those who are tasked to grant citizenship were now planning to take it away. On the language issue, Banerjee stressed that she would "fight against it, as long as I live". The twin attacks by the CM came shortly after the Supreme Court's order on SIR. "They (EC) have removed Aadhaar, PAN (from the list of documents for SIR). How many people have passports? They even asked for date of birth of the parents. Those born in 2002, how will they get their parents' certificate? Did they have institutional delivery? How many hospitals were there? Those who came from Bangladesh, how will they show certificates? They are planning to implement NRC. We are not concerned about double-engine states. They are targeting opposition states and Bengal is a special target." You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Gold Rates Today in Kolkata | Silver Rates Today in Kolkata Referring to the SC order, Banerjee said, "The Supreme Court has stated that Aadhaar must be upheld. The SC has also granted more time for the Bengal case. Our MP filed the first case. We joined as a state, and some NGOs have joined too. I fail to understand why there will suddenly be an SIR. The last SIR here was in 2002. It started in 2002 and ended two years later." The CM said Bengal was being targeted as it offered true independence to its citizens. "Those who came from Bangladesh with just clothes on them, where are their documents? Those who are falsely promising citizenship today will not actually grant it… SIR is an attempt to take away citizenship," she said. She also brought up the issue of the Kolkata dad-son duo, in Noida being turned away by a hotel there for speaking in Bengali, using it as an example of how those speaking in Bengali were being persecuted. "We have also suffered from Partition. If someone is a foreigner, action must be taken against them . However, such actions should not be done arbitrarily," Banerjee said. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
