SC dismisses plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against ECI for insisting on Aadhaar details to enroll new voters

New Delhi [India], February 9 (ANI): The Supreme Court dismissed on Friday a petition seeking contempt action against the Election Commission of India for not changing the forms that insist on furnishing Aadhaar numbers to enroll new voters.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Manoj Misra and Satish Chandra Sharma declined to initiate contempt proceedings against the poll panel while taking into note the ECI’s statement that it was addressing the issue.

The petitioner said that despite the poll panel’s assurance in 2023 that Aadhaar numbers were not obligatory for new voter registration, the forms remained unchanged.

The Election Commission on September 21, 2023, had given an undertaking to the apex court that it would make appropriate clarificatory changes in Forms 6 and 6B, which sought Aadhaar details for electoral roll authentication for new voters.

The Election Commission had said that the submission of Aadhaar numbers was not mandatory as per Rule 26-B of the Registration of Electors (Amendment) Rules 2022.

The response of the poll panel came on a plea filed by G Niranjan, senior vice president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, who highlighted issues with Forms 6 and 6B.

The Congress leader’s plea had questioned the validity of the requirement of furnishing the Aadhaar details with Form 6 (application form for new voters) and Form 6B (Letter of Information of Aadhaar number for the purpose of electoral roll authentication) of the ECI forms for registration in e-roll.

Form 6B facilitated voters in informing their Aadhaar numbers for electoral roll authentication. However, the Aadhaar-voter card linkage is strictly voluntary, as per the new law.