Amid intense political sparring over the Special Intensive Revision process, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated on Monday that opposition parties with grievances are free to approach the courts to seek justice and present their case. Responding to queries regarding continuous protests by opposition groups and their demands for action from the chief electoral officer, Sitharaman noted that courts across the country, including the Supreme Court, have already taken cognizance of complaints originating from various regions.
She stated that people can participate in court proceedings, present their arguments, and secure justice through the judiciary, noting that many individuals are already doing so. Sitharaman added that opposition parties remain entirely free to raise the issue through political demonstrations as well.
Controversy over removal of over two million names in Maharashtra
The issue gained further momentum as the matter regarding SIR in Maharashtra reached the Supreme Court. On Monday, the apex court agreed to hear the case and issued notices to the central government, the Election Commission, and other respondents, with the next hearing scheduled for November 5.
According to the petition, a massive number of voters had their names expunged from the draft voter rolls during the SIR drive in Maharashtra. Out of nearly 9.79 million registered voters in the state, approximately 2.07 million names were removed from the draft list. Data from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra revealed that out of 9,78,54,049 registered voters, 2,06,88,487 names were deleted, accounting for roughly 21.14 percent of the total electorate. The deletions occurred because these voters were reportedly unlocatable at their registered addresses during the verification process.
Redevelopment activities in Mumbai and Pune cited as cause for disruption
Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Arvind Daratar informed the Supreme Court that widespread redevelopment projects in Mumbai and Pune forced numerous residents to temporarily relocate to alternate dwellings. Consequently, the names of such voters were struck off because physical verification teams failed to find them at their previous addresses. The petition further alleged that roughly 1.22 million additional voters had their names deleted on grounds of alleged logical discrepancies.
Key demands raised in the Supreme Court petition
The petition challenging the Maharashtra SIR drive was filed in the Supreme Court by chartered accountant and journalist Arun Anandgiri. The plea urges the court to halt the ongoing SIR procedure in the state until a final verdict is delivered. It also requests that voters whose names figured in the electoral rolls prior to the revision exercise must not be removed pending the judicial outcome.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant issued notices to the central government, the Election Commission, and other relevant respondents. The bench also includes Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana.
