Unfortunate situation in Bengal… Supreme Court made sharp comment on Election Commission and Mamta government

Supreme Court On Bengal SIR : The Supreme Court today took a very strict stand on the ongoing controversy regarding the Special Correction of Voter List (SIR) process in West Bengal. Expressing displeasure over the ongoing tussle between the Mamata Banerjee government and the Election Commission (EC), the apex court said that the situation in the state is unfortunate. The court clearly criticized the government’s lax attitude and said that the entire democratic process is at stake due to the lack of trust between the two constitutional institutions.

During the hearing, when the Election Commission told that the state government was not providing officers for the SIR process, Chief Justice Surya Kant strongly reprimanded. He said that despite our clear order of February 9, the attitude of the state government is very disappointing. This work cannot be done without SDM level officers, office clerks cannot perform this responsibility. The court warned that the Bengal government was creating a situation where judicial authorities would have to intervene.

Ground reality and language crisis

Justice Bagchi, who was part of the bench, drew attention to an important point. He said that if the Election Commission brings officers from outside, they will not be able to help the people at the ground level due to not knowing Bengali language. The Court stressed that if the SIR process is not completed on time, it will have serious consequences. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the court suggested that if the state does not cooperate, then the help of IAS or judicial officers of other states can be taken.

Super meeting ordered to end the deadlock

The Supreme Court has given an unprecedented direction to break this constitutional impasse. The court said that tomorrow i.e. on Saturday, a high level meeting will be held under the chairmanship of the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court. In this, the Chief Secretary of the State, DGP, Advocate General and State Election Commissioner will have to compulsorily participate. The main objective of the meeting is to find a way to complete the SIR process.

Also read: ‘Names of people are being removed from the voter list’… What did the Supreme Court say on the allegation of irregularities in the voter list of UP?

Strict instructions on voter list and violence

The court said that a list can be released on February 28, but instead of considering it as final, a supplementary voter list should be prepared later. The court also took a tough stance on the complaints of election violence in Bengal. The Supreme Court has directed the state DGP to file an affidavit explaining what action has been taken so far on the complaints of violence. This hearing has made it clear that the Supreme Court is in no mood for any kind of compromise to ensure the purity of the voter list before the elections.