The Supreme Court of India clarified that removing a name from an electoral roll does not automatically strip a person of their citizenship.This ruling came while addressing a petition regarding over 3 million appeals from West Bengal voters excluded from welfare schemes after being removed from electoral rolls.

The court emphasized that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has a duty to refer such cases to the central government for citizenship status adjudication.

The petition, filed by Prasenjit Bose, highlighted that despite the court's earlier judgment on Bihar's Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the West Bengal government had continued to deny benefits to excluded voters.

The court acknowledged the need for faster resolution of appeals, noting that 19 tribunals were established but no data on resolved cases was available.

The petition sought to increase the number of tribunals to 42 and expedite decisions, as excluded voters remain deprived of welfare schemes until their cases are resolved.The court agreed to address the matter alongside pending petitions challenging the SIR process in West Bengal.