SIR: The Supreme Court’s role under scrutiny
The SIR debate has largely focused on the Election Commission, but another institution deserves equal scrutiny: the Supreme Court. When millions risk losing their voting rights, the question is not only what the Commission has done, but what the judiciary did.
“If a process deprives lakhs of Indian citizens of their right to vote, then that process is arbitrary. It cannot be justified by any argument whatsoever.”
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Supreme Court of India
The debate over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has so far focused largely on the Election Commission of India. The Commission’s methods, the scale of voter exclusions, the procedural changes and the political consequences of the exercise have all come under intense scrutiny...
