The Supreme Court is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) June 24 directive for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi is hearing the matter.

The petitioners have raised concerns that the SIR process permits arbitrary deletion of voters without adequate safeguards, potentially disenfranchising lakhs of citizens and undermining free and fair elections.

The ECI has defended its directive, asserting that it is empowered to undertake such an exercise and that the revision is crucial to ensure that only eligible citizens are included in the electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

In the last hearing of the matter, the Court declined to pass any blanket order to address exclusions and inclusions of names in the voters' list prepared amid the SIR process. Instead, it asked the affected individuals to file appeals before the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the State.

Live updates from the hearing today feature here.

Hearing starts.

Sr Adv Vijay Hansaria: My turn did not come last time..

Justice Surya Kant: Let us hear the Election Commission first. Then we will (hear you). Do not be impatient.

Adv Prashant Bhushan: Last time a hue and cry was made about an affidavit tendered by me. Now we have verified it. All details of voters are correct.

Justice Surya Kant: Anything which does not impact merits, we do not take that into consideration.

Sr Adv Rakesh Dwivedi: We have filed an affidavit an hour back.

Bhushan: They have replied to our October 8 affidavit and the submissions made by Yogendra Yadav too. Today we stand a day from when the list will be finalised. Now time is too short for an inquiry. But for transparency...

Justice Kant: Yes, you have made points in guidelines to be followed for SIR in other States.

Bhushan: Now fresh deletions have happened in draft rolls and these fresh deletions have not been revealed. For Bihar, the minimum required is tomorrow they will freeze the final roll and it will not be same as published. It will have new additions and deletions. Final roll is not on the website. Once frozen for this election...

Justice Kant: Final list of each constituency has to be with each political party and the polling agent as well.

Bhushan: The frozen voter list must be published on the website.

Sr Adv Dwivedi: Till tomorrow is the time, how can you say we will not put out?

Justice Kant: They know their responsibility and after doing addition and deletion, they are bound to publish it and the matter is not closed.

Bhushan: They have changed booth numbers now of the voters as well.

Bhushan: Elections are imminent now and this court can't do much to change the list but at least the list and deletions should be published.

Justice Kant: They are also seeking to publish it.

Dwivedi: Documents are still being forged and false statements being made to mislead the court.

Bhushan: He said that his name was in the draft roll. That's all.

Dwivedi: They can file a rejoinder.

Supreme Court: Let the reply of ECI be given to parties. Liberty to Mr Bhushan to file a rejoinder. Rejoinder to be filed within 10 days.

Sr Adv Gopal Sankaranarayanan: None of us stand here for any of these parties. This is a completely unconstitutional excercise. Representation of People Act is thrown overboard and some enumeration Data has been submitted now. They have to respond to our constitutional arguments.

Bhushan: We are saying atleast disclose the list. You have deleted and added some people. Atleast give the people reasons why they are deleted.

Supreme Court: List on November 4. Please give us a note on this part of deletion etc along with your submissions on the constitutional issue.