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The Court emphasized the purpose of this directive, stating that it is to allow affected voters to file objections against the removal of their names.
Supreme Court
Thiruvananthapuram: The Supreme Court has directed that the names removed from the draft voter list in Kerala after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process be made public.
The Court emphasized the purpose of this directive, stating that it is to allow affected voters to file objections against the removal of their names.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, also asked the Election Commission to consider extending the last date for filing objections against the removal of names, and if possible, to extend it by two weeks.
The Supreme Court heard several petitions challenging the SIR process in Kerala. The petitioners included senior IUML leader PK Kunhalikutty, CPI-M's MV Govindan Master, CPI's Sunny Joseph, and the CPI State Council.
The petitions argued that the current SIR process, due to technical errors and a lack of a robust grievance redressal mechanism, could disenfranchise a large number of people.
24 Lakh Names Removed from the List
The lawyers for the petitioners in the case stated that approximately 24 lakh names have been removed from the revised draft list. While voters can file objections, the list of those whose names have been removed has not been made available.
This prevents affected voters from knowing why their names were removed and how to file objections. In some cases, voters have been shown as deceased or marked as residing outside the state. This lack of transparency is causing considerable hardship to voters, particularly in rural areas.
Court Directs Uploading the List to the Website
The Court further stated that if the list has not yet been made public, it should be displayed at the Gram Panchayat office or any other public office in the villages.
It should also be uploaded to the official website so that the maximum number of people can access it. The Supreme Court also asked the Election Commission to consider extending the date for filing objections, keeping in mind the difficulties faced by the voters.
