AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court’s directive asking the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider Aadhaar, EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card), and ration cards as valid identification during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The move comes amid mounting concerns from opposition leaders and civil society over the exclusion of widely held ID documents in the revision process.
Owaisi, posting on X (formerly Twitter), said, “This is a welcome order, and we hope that the precedent set in the 1995 Babu Lal Hussein case is followed in letter and spirit.” He highlighted that the plea before the Supreme Court was filed by AIMIM’s Bihar president Akhtarul Iman and was represented by advocate Nizam Pasha.
Criticising reports citing ECI sources, Owaisi accused the constitutional body of deliberately misrepresenting the court’s directive. “The Supreme Court’s order is not about record-keeping but about ensuring proper voter verification. Including Aadhaar, EPIC, and ration cards is essential in that context,” he said.
On Thursday, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi allowed the ECI to continue its SIR process in poll-bound Bihar. However, it directed the Commission to consider additional ID documents—Aadhaar, ration cards, and voter ID cards—for the purpose of establishing voters’ date and place of birth. The court also asked the Commission to provide reasons if it chooses not to accept any of the suggested documents.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also took a swipe at the ECI, posting a screenshot of the court order that noted no interim stay was requested by petitioners. He said the EC’s narrative that the SC didn’t stay the SIR process was misleading. “Deliberate headline management does not befit a constitutional authority,” Ramesh wrote on X.
The Supreme Court was hearing multiple petitions challenging the EC’s June 24 directive, which mandates voters to prove citizenship to remain on the electoral rolls. Petitioners—including RJD MP Manoj Jha, PUCL, ADR, Mahua Moitra, Yogendra Yadav, and others—argued that this move could disproportionately affect poor and marginalised communities in rural Bihar.
The next hearing is scheduled for July 28, with the Election Commission directed to file its affidavit within one week. The Bihar Assembly elections are expected to be held in November.