The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Election Commission (EC) to consider including Aadhaar as the 12th prescribed document for establishing the identity of voters in Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The court clarified that Aadhaar should be treated strictly as proof of identity and not as proof of citizenship. “Only genuine citizens will be allowed to vote; those claiming to be genuine on the basis of forged documents will be excluded,” the bench observed.
It directed the EC to examine the matter and, if required, issue appropriate instructions for acceptance of Aadhaar in the ongoing revision process. The court also underlined the need for the poll body to verify the authenticity of Aadhaar cards submitted by electors.
The direction comes amid scrutiny of nearly three lakh electors in Bihar who were served notices over “doubtful citizenship” following the draft rolls published on August 1.
