The Supreme Court slammed Prashant Bhushan for calling the Election Commission a ‘despot’, stating “Let’s not make sweeping statements” while hearing the case. The Bench also reminded him to “confine your submissions to pleadings” during the sharp exchange in court.
The Supreme Court today expressed its discontent with Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan’s characterization of the Election Commission of India (ECI) as a despot.
During a hearing led by Chief Justice Surya Kant’s bench on petitions challenging the ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in regions like Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, Bhushan argued that the ECI is perceived as a despotic entity.
The bench responded,
“Let us not make sweeping statements. Confine your submissions to pleadings.”
Bhushan, representing the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), contended that the ECI lacks the authority to verify citizenship through the SIR, highlighting that numerous voters appeared multiple times with identical images.
He pointed out that while the Commission possesses de-duplication software to rectify such issues, it has not been utilized. Bhushan also called for acknowledgment slips for enumeration forms and sought access to the 2003 electoral rolls in a format conducive to transparency.
The ECI clarified to the Supreme Court that Aadhaar cannot be utilized as proof of citizenship, serving solely as identification during the ongoing Phase II of the SIR of electoral rolls. This clarification is significant given that the revision exercise involves nearly 51 crore electors across nine states and three Union Territories.
Earlier, On October 9, the Court instructed the Bihar State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) to provide prompt assistance to individuals reportedly excluded from Bihar’s final voter rolls during the ECI’s SIR ahead of the Assembly elections.
The ECI previously informed the Court that the voter roll revision in Bihar adhered to proper procedures and that only concerns raised by Delhi-based NGOs through data analysis had emerged, with genuine voters not lodging complaints.
Earlier, on September 15, the Court had assumed that the ECI, as a constitutional body, was following the law in executing the SIR for Bihar’s electoral rolls, warning that any irregularities would nullify the process.
The Supreme Court had also specified that Aadhaar cards issued under the Aadhaar Act, 2016, would be accepted as the 12th document for identity verification in the revised Bihar electoral rolls ahead of the Assembly elections.
Notably, on September 1, the Bench clarified that the ECI had already implemented adequate safeguards and emphasized that claims and objections could still be filed even after the statutory deadline of September 1.
The Court reiterated that Aadhaar cannot serve as a sole proof of citizenship and cautioned political parties against attempts to elevate its legal status beyond what is allowed by law.