New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea seeking direction to the Election Commission and State Election Bodies regarding the issue of purported duplication and multiple entries in voter lists.
The matter came up before a bench comprising justices Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar. The bench said it cannot issue omnibus directions to all authorities. However, it allowed the petitioner Rashtrawadi Adarsh Mahasangh, a registered political outfit, to move the High Court with specific grievances. The apex court also permitted the petitioner to file representations with appropriate authorities.
The petitioner was represented by advocates Avadh Bihari Kaushik and Umesh Sharma, before the apex court. The plea contended that the "menace" of duplicate voter entries, alleging it undermined the sanctity of elections in India. The pleas urged the court intervention to ensure cleaner electoral rolls, calling the current situation a threat to democracy.
The petitioner cited the 255th report of the Law Commission of India, which recommended a unified electoral roll and highlighted the 2021 amendment to the Representation of the People Act allowing Aadhaar-voter ID linkage. The plea sought direction for the deletion of duplicate voter entries within 30 days and constituting an SIT headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe and oversee the correction process.
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