SC says voter roll removal doesn't affect citizenship

The Supreme Court on Friday, July 17, 2026, reiterated that removal from the electoral roll does not equate to a loss of citizenship, addressing concerns over the denial of welfare benefits to millions in West Bengal. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made the observation while hearing a petition seeking to streamline the appeal process for voters excluded during the state's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The court clarified that while the Election Commission of India has full authority over voter lists, it is not the constitutional body empowered to determine citizenship. Justice Joymalya Bagchi, part of the bench, stated that the ECI has a corresponding duty to refer any case where a person is excluded over citizenship doubts to the central government's ministry for a formal adjudication under the Citizenship Act. Until that process is complete, an individual's citizenship status remains intact.

The petition, filed by Prasenjit Bose of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, highlighted a massive backlog in appeals. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioner, informed the court that approximately 3.4 million (34...