Do not accept domicile certificate issued by West Bengal govt after July 25 for SIR: Suvendu Adhikari writes to CEC
'There is apprehension that these applications may involve Rohingya Muslims and illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, potentially supported by the directive to issue Domicile Certificates to facilitate their enrollment in Voter Lists. Given the sensitivity of the matter, I urge the Election Commission to take preventive measures,' he wrote to CEC.
In the letter, he claimed that the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), West Bengal recently issued a directive to the District Magistrates (DMs) and Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Birbhum, Malda, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Cooch Behar districts, instructing to issue a large number of Domicile Certificates in these districts, many of which share border with Bangladesh.
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United News of India
18 minutes ago
- United News of India
SC declines to stay draft electoral roll publication in Bihar, emphasises ‘En Masse Inclusion' over Exclusion
New Delhi, July 28 (UNI) The Supreme Court today declined to stay the publication of the draft electoral rolls for Bihar scheduled for August 1 under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI), despite concerns raised by opposition leaders and civil society groups over mass disenfranchisement. A Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi refrained from granting interim relief, noting the time constraints as Justice Kant had to attend an administrative meeting later in the day. However, the Bench assured the petitioners that the matter would be heard expeditiously and asked counsels to indicate the time required for detailed arguments on Tuesday. Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), pleaded with the court to restrain the ECI from issuing the draft list, arguing that the ongoing process could inconvenience nearly 4.5 crore voters. He said those excluded from the draft would be forced to undertake the cumbersome process of filing objections and proving their eligibility anew. Justice Surya Kant, however, remarked that since the list was only a draft, the Court retains the power to review and nullify the process later if legal infirmities are found. 'We can always strike down the process if we find any illegality,' he observed, declining to pass an order making the process subject to the outcome of the case, stating that such a presumption was already implicit. The petitioners also flagged the alleged non-compliance by ECI officials with the Supreme Court's earlier direction (July 10 order) to accept Aadhaar cards, Voter ID (EPIC), and Ration cards as proof of eligibility. Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the ECI, responded that Aadhaar and EPIC were being reviewed, but raised concerns over the authenticity of ration cards, citing widespread instances of forged documents. Justice Kant, however, reiterated the presumption of validity attached to official documents and directed the ECI to ensure that Aadhaar and EPIC are accepted. 'You will proceed with Aadhaar and Voter ID... Forgery can happen with any document; that cannot be the basis to reject an entire category,' the Court observed, adding that the ECI should work towards 'en masse inclusion' rather than en masse exclusion. The controversy stems from a June 24, 2025, directive by the ECI launching a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar under Section 21(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The petitions, filed by a broad coalition of political leaders, activists, and civil rights groups, claim that the process is opaque, hasty, and disproportionately affects Muslims, Dalits, poor migrants, and illiterate citizens. The petitioners—including leaders from the INC, CPI, CPI-M, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), RJD, AIMIM, JMM, and others argue that this is the first time voters who have cast their ballots in multiple elections are being asked to reconfirm their citizenship, failing which their names may be deleted from the electoral roll. They further contend that the documents demanded by the ECI such as passports, birth certificates, and school certificates are not easily available to large sections of Bihar's population. By excluding widely used documents like Aadhaar and Ration cards, the petitioners claim the ECI is violating Section 22 of the Representation of the People Act and Rule 21-A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, both of which mandate adequate safeguards against arbitrary exclusion. In its counter-affidavit, the ECI has defended the exercise as necessary to ensure that only Indian citizens are included in the electoral rolls. It has maintained that Aadhaar and Ration cards are not reliable proof of citizenship and insisted that its eleven-document list was merely illustrative. The ADR, in its rejoinder, alleged large-scale procedural violations, including unauthorized mass-uploading of enumeration forms without voter consent, submission of forms for deceased individuals, and attempts to meet 'unrealistic' deadlines set by the Commission. These claims were supported by field reports from journalists and election observers. Previously, a vacation Bench led by Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Joymalya Bagchi had also cautioned that determination of citizenship is not within the ECI's mandate, urging it to consider Aadhaar, Voter ID, and Ration cards as part of the process. Although the Supreme Court has not yet passed any definitive orders, the matter is now scheduled for detailed hearing, where the legality and fairness of the ongoing SIR exercise will be rigorously scrutinized. For now, the Court has allowed the ECI to proceed with the publication of the draft electoral rolls, leaving the door open for judicial intervention if procedural violations are established. UNI SNG RN
India Today
32 minutes ago
- India Today
Small margins, big deletions: Bihar's voter list shake-up will impact many races
Ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, 65 lakh names have been dropped or shifted. That's nearly one in every 12 voters, and more than the average winning margin in most seats!Why it matters: Most Assembly seats in Bihar are won by razor-thin margins. The average number of deleted or migrated voters per constituency — about 26,749 — exceeds the winning margin in two-thirds of seats in 2020. That scale of change could swing the outcome in dozens of numbers:7.89 crore: Total registered voters as of June 247.24 crore: Voters who submitted verification forms65 lakh: Estimated number of removed or migrated voters26,749: Average deletions per Assembly seat16,825: Average victory margin in 2020165: Seats in 2020 with margins smaller than the deletion averageIn-depth: On July 27, the ECI announced that 91.69 per cent of Bihar's electors had submitted forms during a Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls. This process, meant to clean up the voter list before the 2025 polls, has flagged 65 lakh names as people who may have died, moved away, or were names will not appear in the draft rolls to be published on August 1. But the exclusions are not final. Voters will still be able to raise objections and submit claims between August 1 and September ECI says the effort is part of routine upkeep. Yet, its timing and sheer scale are bound to have an impact, especially when juxtaposed with Bihar's tight electoral 2020, 165 of 243 seats were decided by margins smaller than the average number of voters now deleted per seat. That includes Bhorey, where the Janata Dal (United)'s Sunil Kumar won by just 462 votes, where 7,680 voters have since been removed or picture: Bihar's voter revision raises critical a state where elections often hinge on a few hundred or thousand votes, a voter list reshuffle of this magnitude could shift the balance in dozens of constituencies. With elections due later this year, the effect of this data — and the process that follows — may reverberate well beyond the publication of the draft they said: 'We are ensuring that no eligible voter is left behind. The Claims and Objections period will allow anyone wrongly excluded to be added back,' said the Election Commission of India on July 27.- EndsTune InMust Watch
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Bihar Does It Again, Issues Domicile Certificate To ‘Dog Babu', Son Of ‘Kutta Babu And Kutiya Devi'
In Masaurhi, near Bihar's Patna, a residence certificate issued to a dog named 'Dog Babu' is making rounds on social media and has sparked widespread criticism. The certificate lists 'Dog Babu' as a resident of Masaurhi, accompanied by a picture of a dog in the top right corner. The certificate also listed the names of its parents as 'Kutta Babu' (father) and 'Kutiya Devi' (mother). The residence certificate issued with the name 'Dog Babu' was cancelled, an official statement informed on Monday. The address listed in the certificate was Kaulichak, Ward No. 15, Nagar Parishad Masaurhi and carried the digital signature of Murari Chauhan, revenue officer. Meanwhile, this incident is also raising questions about the security and credibility of the Right to Public Services (RTPS) portal. This incident comes as the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday said that out of 7.89 crore registered voters in Bihar, over 7.24 crore electors have submitted their enumeration forms under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) held from June 24 to July 25, reflecting a 91.69 percent participation rate. Patna District Administration's Reply Taking cognisance of the certificate issued, the Patna district administration said that an FIR has been registered against the applicant, the computer operator, and the official who issued the certificate. "In the Masaurhi region, a case has come to light involving the issuance of a residence certificate in the name of "Dog Babu." As soon as the matter came to notice, the said residence certificate was cancelled. Additionally, an FIR is being registered at the local police station against the applicant, the computer operator, and the officer who issued the certificate," the official handle of Patna district administration stated on X. The district administration also said that a Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) level inquiry has been initiated in the matter. Netizens' Reaction Mocking the Bihar government, Swaraj Party leader Yogendra Yadav pointed out that this is the same residence certificate that has been requested from voters in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise being carried out by the ECI. 'See it with your own eyes! On July 24 in Bihar, a dog got a residence certificate issued. This is the same certificate that is being accepted in Bihar under SIR, while Aadhaar and ration cards are being called fake. Check the photo and name yourself: 'Dog Babu', father's name 'Kutta Babu', mother's name 'Kutiya Babu', and address - Kaulichak Mohalla, Ward Number 15, Masaurhi Municipal Council. The certificate number is BRCCO/2025/15933581,' Yogendra Yadav posted on X. अपनी आँखों से देख लीजिए! बिहार में 24 जुलाई को एक कुत्ते ने आवास प्रमाण पत्र बनवा लिया। यह वही प्रमाणपत्र है जिसे बिहार में SIR में मान्य किया जा रहा है, जबकि आधार और राशन कार्ड को फ़र्ज़ी बताया जा रहा है। आप ख़ुद फ़ोटो और नाम जाँच लीजिए: 'डॉग बाबू', पिता का नाम 'कुत्ता बाबू',… — Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) July 27, 2025 Patna DM's Reaction Patna District Magistrate Thiyagarajan on Monday suspected the role of some "mischievous" elements behind the issuance of the 'Dog Babu' residence certificate. Speaking to reporters, Patna DM said that the administration cancelled the certificate within two minutes after the anomaly was detected in the certificate. ANI quoted the DM as saying, 'The matter is very serious. Some mischievous element has made such an attempt. The certificate was issued on July 24 at 3.56 pm and was immediately cancelled within two minutes at 3.58 pm.' He further mentioned that authorities, in coordination with the Cyber police station, are tracking the suspect, adding that necessary action is being taken against officials involved in the negligence. (with ANI inputs)
