Supreme Court Questions EC's Power to Remove Names from Electoral Rolls

• Supreme Court hears petitions challenging removal of names from electoral rolls (SIR) in various states, including Tamil Nadu.
• Senior advocate Kapil Sibal argues Election Commission cannot snatch citizenship, only central government decides citizenship.
• Justice Bagchi questions Sibal, stating removal from electoral roll only affects voting rights, not citizenship.
• Sibal and Gopal Sankaranarayanan highlight that Voter ID is often proof of citizenship and removal impacts constitutional voting rights.
• Petitioners argue SIR process led to significant drop in 'electoral population ratio', indicating structural flaws.

Why It Matters: Supreme Court debates Election Commission's authority to remove names from electoral rolls and its impact on citizenship.