New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and AIMIM’s petitions seeking extension of deadline for filing of claims and objections in the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, which has triggered a massive political row.
The top court will hear the matter on September 1, which happens to be the deadline set by Election Commission of India (ECI) for filing claims and objections, reported PTI.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant, Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi said it will hear the applications of the political parties on Monday after advocate Prashant Bhushan and senior advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for the RJD, said that many of them have filed applications for extension of deadlines.
Advocate Nizam Pasha, who appeared for AIMIM, argued that deadline needs to be extended due to large-scale filing of claims and objections.
“The number of claims filed are exponentially rising. The deadline needs to be extended,” Alam told the bench.
Pasha submitted that 80,000 claims were filed before the August 22 order, and 95,000 post the order.
“We are requesting that these applications be listed as early as possible,” Pasha said.
On being asked why the petitioners did not approach ECI for the relief, Bhushan said they have but the request is not being considered.
On August 22, Supreme Court directed the poll body to allow excluded voters to submit claims through online mode besides making physical submissions in the SIR exercise of electoral roll in the poll-bound state of Bihar.
On August 14, the top court directed ECI to publish by August 19 details of the 65 lakh voters excluded from the draft electoral rolls in Bihar to enhance ‘transparency’ in the SIR exercise, and allow Aadhaar as an acceptable document for identity proof.
Following the SIR exercise, Bihar’s voters list has been from 7.9 crore to 7.24 crore.