Supreme Court Upholds Aadhaar and Voter ID's Authenticity in Bihar's SIR

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the "presumption of genuineness" for Aadhaar and Voter ID in the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, refusing to halt the draft rolls' publication. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing an NGO, argued for an interim halt, fearing voter disenfranchisement.

Despite pushback from political leaders and civil society groups, the court emphasized both documents' sanctity. The bench urged the Election Commission to continue accepting Aadhaar and Voter ID, citing their reliability compared to ration cards, which it identified as easily forgeable.

The court assured petitioners of a definitive hearing on the matter, noting the importance of maintaining trustworthy electoral processes. As the Election Commission deploys agents statewide, the debate over document validity underscores tensions in balancing election purity with voter inclusion.

(With inputs from agencies.)