Vijay's TVK moves SC against SIR in Tamil Nadu

New Delhi [India], November 23 (ANI): Actor Vijay's TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam) party has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to conduct Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter roll in Tamil Nadu.
TVK's plea filed through Advocates Dixita Gohil, Pranjal Agarwal, Shikhar Aggarwal, and Yash S. Vijay has sought that the ECI's notification issued on October 27, to undertake the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in ten States and Union Territories, including Tamil Nadu, be quashed and set aside.
The plea states that SIR constitutes a gross violation of constitutional protections under Articles 14, 19, 21, 325, and 326 and is contrary to statutory provisions under Sections 21 and 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (ROPA).
Additionally, the plea contends that SIR amounts to a de novo (afresh) preparation of electoral rolls without any recorded reasons or justification, violating the statutory requirement under ROPA.
The SIR process, the plea contends, violates the right of continuity of electors on rolls by allowing deletion of names without notice or hearing. Thus, it contravenes Supreme Court precedents and statutory safeguards under Rule 21A of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, the plea states.
"The SIR mandates burdensome and arbitrary documentary requirements on voters, discriminating against socially and economically weaker sections, and improperly shifts the burden of proof of citizenship onto voters instead of the State. The compressed timeframe and procedural anomalies in the SIR process make the exercise ultra vires, arbitrary, and violate principles of natural justice, including inadequate opportunity for objection and appeal", the plea adds.
Moreover, the plea has flagged certain difficulties with the SIR process pertinently that the timing of the revision exercise coincides with potential floods, posing logistical difficulties and administrative burden as government officials and BLOs may be diverted to flood relief work.
"Booth Level Officers (BLOs) lack essential preparation and documentation, including absence of revision lists from prior exercises and insufficient enumeration forms, making the process arbitrary and hasty", the plea states.
It further states that public awareness about document verification and enumeration procedures is poor, and there is no accountability for BLOs who fail to complete visits or verify details correctly.
"Vulnerable groups such as migrant workers, orphans, and married women without documents face disproportionate barriers due to varying documentary requirements, and the online system used is glitchy and lacks a redressal mechanism", the plea has flagged. (ANI)