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Petition against photographs of Gosha women on voters' list dismissed

Special Correspondent

"No substance in contention that electoral rolls will offend Article 25"

CHENNAI: A public interest litigation petition seeking to restrain the Election Commission of India and other authorities from releasing voters list carrying the photographs of Muslim Gosha women was dismissed by the Madras High Court.

Dismissing the petition filed by M. Ajmal Khan, general secretary of All Muslim Jamath Rights Protection Council, the First Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice K. Chandru said, "The Election Commission was right in prescribing a form containing the photographs of eligible voters. In our opinion, there is absolutely no substance in the contention of the petitioner that the electoral rolls will offend Article 25 of the Constitution, with regard to the Muslim women."

The bench further reasoned that the Election Commission had introduced the form in various States, and elections too had been held in accordance with the form prescribed by it. No single complaint has been received against the publication of rolls with photographs. Rule 4 of the Registration of Electoral Rolls Rules clearly says the electoral roll for each constituency shall be prepared in such form and in such language/s as the Election Commission may direct, the Bench said.

The petitioner had said the rolls would be accessible to one and all, including representatives of political parties, and this went against the religious beliefs and tenets of the Koran and it would cause "irreparable loss, damage and mental agony" to the Muslim community.

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