Hyderabad, Oct. 5 -- Supreme Court Judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said that the deletion of a citizen's name from an electoral roll without a fair hearing strikes at the core of India's constitutional democracy.

Speaking at the valedictory ceremony of the 19th NALSAR BRS Moot Court Competition in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan emphasised that the right to vote is fundamentally tied to Indian citizenship.

"A citizen to be a voter and to vote is of the greatest importance and forms the foundation of free and fair elections. Section 22 of the Representation of the People Act 1950 permits deletion of an entry in the voters list. But only after the said voter has been given a reasonable opportunity of being heard. Except in the case of a dead man, th...