SIR May Be Legal, But Is It Fair? Questions Former EC Ashok Lavasa
NEW DELHI: Former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa has questioned the fairness of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying that even if the exercise is legally valid, its impact on millions of voters must be examined from a justice perspective.
“Of course it is legal. But is it fair? That is the question. Because that is what justice is all about,” Lavasa said while delivering the Prof Jagdeep Singh Chhokar Memorial Lecture organised by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) in New Delhi on Thursday.
Lavasa’s remarks came amid the ongoing debate over the SIR exercise, with questions being raised about its implications for voters and the electoral process. He distinguished between the legality of an administrative exercise and whether its implementation meets broader standards of fairness and justice.
ADR had organised the memorial lecture on September 3 at Raja Ram Mohun Roy Memorial Hall in New Delhi, with Lavasa speaking on “Leadership, Ethics, and Public Service.”
The former poll official’s comments add to the broader public debate over electoral roll revisions and the need to ensure that measures aimed at maintaining accurate voter lists do not unfairly affect eligible citizens.
