The Supreme Court’s ruling on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar has reopened the debate on Aadhaar’s role in the electoral process, with the BJP and Congress engaging in a war of words. BJP MP Sambit Patra has accused the Congress and other opposition parties of hypocrisy, citing their changing views on Aadhaar.
Patra pointed out that the opposition previously opposed the linkage of Aadhaar with voter IDs, but are now advocating for its inclusion. He highlighted that the Prime Minister’s remarks supporting Aadhaar were initially opposed by the opposition, and he referenced the Congress’s legal challenge in 2022 against linking Aadhaar with voter cards.
In response, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh accused the Election Commission of India of misrepresenting the court’s order. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi welcomed the top court’s decision while hitting out at ECI sources for misrepresenting the court’s order. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Election Commission continuing the SIR process in Bihar, while permitting the use of Aadhaar, ration cards, and voter ID cards for identification purposes.