Should Intruders With Aadhaar Be Made Voters? Supreme Court's Crucial Debate
The Supreme Court’s deliberations underscore that the Election Commission (EC) must rigorously verify citizenship through appropriate documents beyond Aadhaar for voter list inclusion. The court reaffirmed that under Section 23(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, Aadhaar can only serve as proof of identity—not citizenship or domicile. This distinction is critical because errors in the voter rolls could empower intruders, potentially non-citizens, to influence elections. The Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to clean up electoral rolls across states is contentious but vital. As the court continues hearings and demands responses by December 1, this landmark case could reshape how identity and citizenship interplay in India's electoral democracy, reinforcing that voting rights remain a privilege strictly tethered to citizenship, not identity papers alone.
