New Delhi, July 11 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to also consider Aadhaar cards, voter IDs and ration cards, as acceptable proof of eligibility for inclusion in electoral rolls in its ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the list in Bihar, even as it agreed to examine whether the poll body's exercise violated legal provisions or could potentially lead to mass disenfranchisement ahead of assembly elections due later this year. Underlining that the matter "goes to the root of the functioning of the democratic republic" and involves "the right to vote," a bench of justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi said it would examine three key questions -- ECI's powers to conduct such an exercise, the manner in which the SIR is being conducted, and its timing, and fixed the matter for next hearing on July 28. The court also directed the poll body to file its counter affidavit within a week and noted that no interim order was being passed at this stage since, by ECI's own schedule, the draft electoral rolls were to be published on August 1. "We are of the prima facie view that it will be in the interest of justice if ECI also considers Aadhaar, voter ID cards, and ration cards among the acceptable documents for enumeration," the bench said. It also observed that the draft rolls should not be finalised until then, a direction that came after the court expressed serious doubt whether the massive state-wide exercise could be completed within ECI's strict timeline. The developments sparks polarised reactions, with the Bharatiya Janata Party underlining that the court had not stopped the exercise and the Congress called it a "relief for democracy". The court engaged in an intense exchange with ECI counsel and senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi on the one side and senior lawyers Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Shadan Farasat, appearing for Opposition leaders and non-governmental organisations that have challenged SIR. The petitioners contend that the revision exercise is arbitrary, has no legal backing, and is being conducted at a time and in a manner that may result in large-scale disenfranchisement. During the day-long hearing, the bench grilled ECI over the proximity of the exercise to the Bihar assembly elections and the potential for disenfranchisement. "You are conducting this exercise which has the propensity to disenfranchise several people.Why not delink this exercise from the upcoming election?" remarked the court, pointing out that voters who have participated in multiple elections over the years may now face exclusion due to lack of documentation. "Why are you making this exercise relatable to the election to be conducted in November? Why can't this be carried out independent of the upcoming polls?" asked the bench, expressing concern that voters who had participated in the last 20 years of elections may now find themselves ousted for want of documents....