Voter List Removal: 'Slight Doubt' Enough, Commission Tells Supreme Court

• The Election Commission informed the Supreme Court that names will be removed from the voter list if there is even a slight doubt about citizenship.
• The primary objective of the SIR process is to remove non-citizens from the voter list, not to revoke citizenship or deport individuals.
• Commission's lawyer, Rakesh Dwivedi, clarified that an ERO's decision to exclude a name due to citizenship uncertainty does not definitively mean the person is not an Indian citizen, as citizenship determination is the central government's responsibility.
• Justice Jaymalya Bagchi questioned if individuals would be deprived of voting rights until the central government determines their citizenship.
• The hearing on this matter will resume on January 15th in the Chief Justice's court.

Why It Matters: Election Commission asserts power to remove names from voter list over 'slight doubt' on citizenship.