New Delhi: The Supreme Court on August 6 asked the Election Commission of India [ECI] to file its response on a fresh petition filed by a Non-Government Organization [NGO] seeking disclosure of data of 65 lakh voters who were not included in the Bihar draft electoral roll after Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The apex court asked the poll body to submit its response on the matter by August 9 after Prashant Bhushan appearing for the NGO mentioned the matter before the SC’s bench, claiming that no specific information was given by ECI on who is dead or who has migrated from the state.
The Commission in its reply stated that all requisite information had been given to political parties.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and N Kotiswar Singh then asked the ECI counsel to furnish the details of deleted voters, the data which has been shared with the political parties, and give a copy to the NGO represented by Bhushan.
“We will see every voter likely to be affected and get the required information,” said the bench while directing the Commission to file a reply by Saturday.
The apex court said it will hear a batch of petitions challenging the June 24 order of the poll panel on August 12, and the NGO can make these averments on that day.
The top court has fixed the hearing on August 12 and 13 of a batch of pleas challenging the ECI’s move to conduct SIR of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.
The petitions challenging the ECI decision were filed by RJD MP Manoj Jha, ADR, PUCL, activist Yogendra Yadav, Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra, and former Bihar MLA Mujahid Alam.
[With inputs from ANI]
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