Citizenship does not end merely because a person’s name is not in the electoral roll !

New Delhi – The Supreme Court stated that the absence of a person’s name from the electoral roll does not automatically result in the loss of citizenship. There is a separate procedure for determining citizenship. The Supreme Court made this observation while hearing a petition related to the intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bengal.

The Supreme Court stated,

‘Determining citizenship is not a constitutional power of the Election Commission. The Election Commission’s powers are limited to the control and supervision of electoral rolls. If any Tribunal rules against the inclusion of a person’s name in the electoral roll, the Election Commission will have to refer the matter to the concerned Ministry for determining the person’s citizenship. The absence of a name from the electoral roll does not automatically result in the loss of citizenship,’ the Supreme Court clarified.