A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court questioning why the Election Commission of India is conducting only a “Special Revision” in Assam instead of a full “Special Intensive Revision” like in other States. The plea raises concerns over illegal immigrants affecting electoral rolls and demographic balance.
New Delhi: A petition has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) decision to carry out a “Special Revision” of electoral rolls in Assam instead of a “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) like in Bihar and twelve other States and Union Territories.
The petition has been filed by Mrinal Kumar Choudhury, former President of the Gauhati High Court Bar Association, who has questioned the ECI’s order dated November 17.
According to the petition, the ECI has acted in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner by directing a lower form of revision for Assam while conducting Special Intensive Revision in Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
The petitioner pointed out that this approach contradicts the Election Commission’s own position reflected in its Bihar SIR order as well as its affidavit before the top court, where it had stated on oath that Special Intensive Revision would be conducted across the country.
The petition further highlights the gravity of the situation in Assam by relying on the report of former Assam Governor Lt. General SK Sinha and statements of then Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta, which recorded that as far back as 1997, there were between “40 to 50 lakh illegal immigrants living in Assam.”
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The petitioner claims that lakhs of illegal immigrants continue to reside in the State and their names have already been included in the existing electoral roll.
According to the petition, unless a Special Intensive Revision is conducted, these persons could acquire voting rights in the upcoming Assembly elections.
This, the petitioner alleges,
“would have a cascading impact on the socio-political fabric of the State and result in demographic imbalance.”
The plea also draws attention to the Supreme Court’s previous concerns regarding the adverse demographic impact arising from illegal immigration, as recorded in the Sarbananda Sonowal I and II judgments and in proceedings concerning Section 6A of the Citizenship Act.
The petitioner has sought that the ECI decision to conduct only a Special Revision be quashed and has requested a direction to conduct a Special Intensive Revision in Assam, similar to other States.
Additionally, the petition has sought instructions that
“Aadhaar should not be treated as a valid document for inclusion in the electoral roll during the revision process.”
The petition has been settled by Senior Advocate Vijay Hansaria and filed through advocate Anasuya Choudhury.
What is Special Intensive Revision (SIR)?
A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a thorough process conducted by the Election Commission of India to update and clean up the electoral rolls in a state or Union Territory. During an SIR, every eligible voter’s details are verified, and efforts are made to remove duplicate, fake, or incorrect entries.
New voters are added, and records of deceased or migrated persons are deleted.
SIR is considered a more comprehensive and detailed revision compared to a normal or “Special Revision,” which may not involve verifying every voter’s eligibility in the same depth.
The main purpose of SIR is to ensure that the electoral rolls are accurate, free from irregularities, and reflect the actual population, thereby maintaining the integrity of elections.
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