Delhi SIR case: Supreme Court assures to ‘take care of’ EC move to restore deleted voters as fresh voters
The Supreme Court of India has intervened in a case regarding the deletion of millions of voters from Delhi's electoral rolls during a Special Intensive Revision. The court is reviewing the Election Commission's requirement that deleted voters re-register as first-time applicants.
Why it matters
The case addresses fundamental democratic rights and the administrative integrity of electoral processes in India's capital.
The Supreme Court of India agreed to intervene for Delhi’s voters deleted from the electoral roll pursuant to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and are now effectively being asked by the Election Commission of India to misrepresent themselves as fresh applicants by filling out Form 6 to restore their names on the voter list.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant was informed by advocates Prashant Bhushan and Neha Rathi, appearing for petitioners Anjali Bhardwaj and Amrita Johri, that deleted voters seeking re-inclusion in the electoral roll are being compelled by the Election Commission (EC) to file a declaration that they had never voted before or face imprisonment.
Form 6, prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules of 1960, requires every applicant to affirm that they are “applying for inclusion in the electoral roll for the first time”.
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