'Congress tried every trick to stop SIR but faced disappointment in Supreme Court today': JP Nadda

His statements came even as the Supreme Court earlier in the day ordered the Election Commission (EC) to upload the names of 65 lakh people removed from Bihar’s voter list, along with the reasons for their deletion, on its website by Tuesday.

The court further directed that the list must be publicised to ensure that every voter can access it, according to an NDTV report.

In a significant ruling, the bench said those whose names were wrongly deleted can file claims by submitting a copy of their Aadhaar cards.

This is crucial as petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision had objected to Aadhaar being excluded as valid proof, warning it would disenfranchise many voters.

Hours after the direction, Nadda said: "Congress tried every trick and deceit to stop SIR but they had to face disappointment in the Supreme Court today. Now, in sheer desperation, Congress is clutching at non-issues and parading them as 'moral victories'."

"The fact remains that all their canards are being rejected, exposed, and defeated one by one. Congress has yet again lost the case and lost the plot," he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress has lauded the Supreme Court's ruling and said the Election Commission's "manipulations will come to light openly".

"The entire scam of vote theft carried out in the name of SIR will be exposed," the Congress said.

Earlier in the hearing, Justice Joymalya Bagchi inquired how many names were omitted from the draft list after the Special Intensive Revision.

Senior Advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the EC, responded, "65 lakhs are not there, 22 lakhs are dead."

He emphasised that no name had been deleted, and anyone alive whose name was wrongly marked as deceased could approach poll officials for correction, the report added.

"What we are asking is to be more transparent. We are saying that instead of this, put the entire data set on the website," Justice Bagchi remarked. Justice Kant added that while political workers may have their own ideology, “people must be able to independently check” their names online, the report said.

The bench ordered that the complete dataset be made available on the EC’s website in a searchable format, allowing people to verify details using their EPIC numbers.

“Anita Devi should know that if I go to this website, I will know how to get my name,” Justice Kant said. The matter will be heard again on August 22.