Supreme Court to conduct final hearing on pleas against validity of Bihar SIR on October 7

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Amid the ongoing row over the Bihar SIR, the Supreme Court said that it was presuming the Election Commission of India, being a constitutional authority, was following the law during the special intensive revision of the electoral roll in poll-bound Bihar. The apex court further cautioned the body that in case of any illegality, the exercise would be set aside.

As reported by news agency PTI, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi fixed October 7 for hearing final arguments on the validity of Bihar SIR. The Supreme Court further refused to offer any "any piecemeal opinion" on the exercise.

The bench said, "Our judgement in Bihar, SIR, will be applicable for Pan-India SIR," clarifying it can't stop the poll panel from conducting a similar exercise for revision of the electoral roll across the country.

However, the bench further allowed petitioners against the Bihar SIR exercise to also argue on the pan-India SIR on October 7, reported PTI.

Moreover, the top court, in the meantime, issued notice on a plea seeking the recall of the September 8 top court order directing the poll panel to include the Aadhaar card as the 12th prescribed document in the Bihar SIR.

Earlier on September 8, the Supreme Court of India clarified that Aadhaar will not be proof of citizenship, and the poll panel can ascertain its genuineness on being submitted by an elector for inclusion in the electoral roll.

Earlier, in August, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed opposition parties over their protest for claiming irregularities in the Bihar elections. The Union Home Minister also criticised the opposition for objecting to the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, asserting that infiltrators have "no right to vote".

While speaking on the allegations of voter irregularities, Union Minister Shah asserted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was "indulging in politics over the SIR exercise" in the state, as per news agency PTI.

Amit Shah further added that "India is different under Narendra Modi ji's regime. Our soldiers killed terrorists in their hideouts. But the RJD and Congress leaders are opposing Operation Sindoor and have been further raising questions on the voter fraud."

Amit Shah, while addressing the people in Bihar during his visit in August, also asserted that the NDA will form the government in the coming assembly polls.

(With inputs from PTI)