Archive · 5 Oct 2026
Justice Bhuyan Warns SIR Must Not Deny Citizens Voting Rights
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan spoke at a law school event in Hyderabad.
He warned that a process should not wrongly stop large numbers of people from voting.
He said the Constitution promises equality and voting rights to adult citizens.
It does not create one group of citizens who may vote and another group who may not.
He said a person should generally get notice and a chance to respond before their name is removed from a voter list.
His comments came while courts were examining the Election Commission’s voter-list revision process.
He said no authority or court can excuse an action that goes against the Constitution.
Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan warned that mass voter exclusion could undermine constitutional guarantees.
He spoke at the valedictory address of a moot court competition at NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad.
Bhuyan said the Constitution does not divide citizens into separate classes based on whether they can vote.
He cited Articles 14, 325 and 326 and said excuses based on others’ wrongdoing cannot justify exclusion.
His remarks came amid legal scrutiny of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
- Who
- Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
- What
- He warned that mass exclusion of voters could violate constitutional protections and said no authority or court can condone such a violation.
- When
- Sunday, during the valedictory address; the article does not specify the date.
- Where
- NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad, India
- Why
- His remarks concerned the potential effect of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls on voters’ constitutional rights.
Concerns about voter exclusion
Election Commission’s response
Effects and safeguards in the SIR process
Concerns about voter exclusion
Justice Bhuyan warned that mass exclusion could be arbitrary and undermine constitutional guarantees; petitioners also raised concerns about omitted names and verification notices.
Election Commission’s response
The Election Commission told the court that no voter would be removed unless proper steps were followed.
- Speaker
- Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
- Event
- 19th NALSAR-Justice BR Sawhney Memorial Moot Court Competition
- Venue
- NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad
- Process under scrutiny
- Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
- Constitutional provisions cited
- Articles 14, 325 and 326
- Delhi draft-roll figures cited
- Petitioners told the Supreme Court 47.56 lakh names were absent from a draft list released August 31, and 33.13 lakh electors received notices.
- West Bengal appeals figures cited
- The Election Commission said 22.21 lakh of 27.16 lakh electors removed through adjudication had appealed; total appeals cited were 38.31 lakh.
