SC directs EC to include Aadhaar as 12th valid document for Bihar SIR

The Supreme Court on Monday directed that Aadhaar card “must” be included as an identity proof of voters in the special intensive revision exercise of electoral rolls in Bihar and gave the Election Commission the course of the day to implement the direction.
Adding the Aadhaar card to the list of 11 prescribed documents in the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi made it clear the Aadhaar will not be a proof of citizenship.
In its order on the much debated issue, the apex court said the Election Commission can ascertain the genuineness of Aadhaar card number submitted by an elector for inclusion in the electoral roll.The top court also sought EC’s explanation on showcause notices it issued to poll officials for not accepting Aadhaar card from voters.
At the moment for Bihar SIR, there are 11 prescribed documents which electors have to submit with their enumeration forms for inclusion into the electoral roll.The order brings Aadhaar at par with other prescribed documents including passport, birth certificate as valid proof of identity.According to EC’s June 24 notification, the final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on September 30.
Observing nobody wants the EC to include illegal immigrants in the electoral roll, the bench stressed only genuine citizens will be allowed to vote and those claiming to be genuine on the basis of forged documents will be excluded from the electoral roll.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Shoeb Alam, appearing for RJD alleged despite three orders of the apex court asking the poll panel to accept Aadhaar cards as a valid proof of identity, the EC wasn’t accepting it and even issuing showcause notices to poll officials, who were accepting it from electors.