• Source:JND
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The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Election Commission while hearing a petition seeking the immediate special intensive revision (SIR) in five states and UTs where polls are due next year.

These states and UTs are Assam, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The top court will hear the case on September 25. Petitioner Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay said that he had filed an application seeking SIR across the country, with an immediate start in these five states.

While talking to the media, he said, "I had filed an application requesting the implementation of the SIR across the entire country, with an immediate start in five states—Assam, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry—where elections are scheduled for 2026. The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Election Commission and will hear the case again on September 15."

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He further added, "I hope that the Election Commission will complete all formalities and declare the timeline for SIR in these five states before the next hearing."

Speaking about the court's direction to EC on including Aadhaar in SIR, Upadhyay said, "The SC has also clarified that the Aadhaar Card is not proof of citizenship but merely proof of identity. Additionally, the Court acknowledged that the Election Commission is authorised to verify the citizenship status of individuals to ensure that only Indian citizens are included in the electoral rolls... This will lead to the swift initiation of citizenship verification nationwide, resulting in the cancellation of voting rights for illegal residents, including Rohingya, Pakistanis, Afghans, and Bangladeshis, and their eventual removal from the country."

ALSO READ: After Bihar, Election Commission Likely To Hold Simultaneous SIR Across Country

Earlier, a Jagran.com report suggested that the poll body was planning to conduct a nationwide exercise simultaneously. The move was guided by the opposition's question to the poll body during the Bihar SIR as to why the state was chosen alone for the exercise.

The poll body is set to hold a meeting with the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all the states and union territories on September 10.