CNN Central News & Networks / ITDC India ePress / ITDC News /Agencies/ Delhi: New Delhi. The Supreme Court has questioned the Election Commission over the removal of names of nearly 47 lakh voters during the special intensive revision (SIR) of Delhi’s electoral roll. The court said the right to vote is important and a voter cannot be deprived of this right forever merely because the voter was absent or could not be contacted. The top court asked the Commission to explore measures to reach affected voters and make the process of getting their names included again easier.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Suryakant asked why people whose names were already on the voter list needed to fill Form 6, meant for new voters, to be included again after their names were removed. The court suggested that the Commission make public the list of voters who could not be contacted. The list should also include their old polling station and voter-list-related details so that they can contact their nearest booth-level officer (BLO).
During the hearing, the petitioners said about 1.45 crore voters were registered in Delhi before the revision, of whom the enumeration forms of around 47.57 lakh people were not received back by the Commission. These voters have been placed in categories such as absent, shifted, dead or duplicate entry. However, the Election Commission said removal of names from the draft list is not a final decision and eligible voters can file claims for inclusion of their names.
The court told the Commission to make the process easier for affected people instead of taking a rigid stand on the prescribed deadline. The Commission told the court it would consider the suggestion to accept forms submitted late and extend the deadline. The bench also stressed accepting Form 6 and Form 8 and making information about this process public.
The next hearing in the matter will be held after two weeks. The court made it clear that no final decision has yet been taken on the validity of the process of removing names on the basis of alleged discrepancies in the voter list.
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