The Supreme Court has closed a set of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu. The Court, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, cited a previous judgment upholding a similar revision exercise in Bihar. Despite this decision, the petitioners have been granted the liberty to seek other legal remedies available to them.
The petitions, which included one from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the then-ruling party in Tamil Nadu, contested the extension of the SIR exercise before the Assembly elections. The DMK argued that the ECI’s order for a Special Intensive Revision in Tamil Nadu was arbitrary and violated the Constitution. It claimed that continuing the exercise would unjustly disenfranchise numerous voters and breach various constitutional articles and electoral rules.
The Court’s verdict affirmed the Election Commission’s authority to conduct the revision, emphasizing its role in safeguarding the electoral process’s integrity. It clarified that the SIR did not contravene electoral laws and was a legitimate measure to ensure free and fair elections. Additionally, the Court dismissed claims that the SIR was an unauthorized citizenship verification process, stating that the ECI’s scrutiny for electoral purposes did not equate to a final citizenship determination.
