Will President’s rule be imposed in Bengal? This one comment of the Supreme Court shook Mamata government, even Kapil Sibal’s plea was in vain

New Delhi/Kolkata: The heart-wrenching incident of misbehavior and attack on judicial officers in Kaliachak, Malda, West Bengal has shocked the entire country. The seriousness of this matter can be gauged from the fact that now the Supreme Court has directly intervened in it. The harsh questions raised by the court on the role of Bengal administration have created a stir in the politics of the state.

The bench of Supreme Court Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Jaimalya Bagchi has not considered this incident as minor. The court has termed it in a very strict tone as ‘Complete Breakdown of Law and Order’. After this comment of the court, speculations have started whether the law and order of the state has now gone out of control? Expressing displeasure, the court has also served a show cause notice to the District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) of Malda.

Kapil Sibal’s argument and court’s tough stance

During the hearing, when the court talked about ‘law and order failure’, veteran lawyer Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state government, took charge. Sibal appealed to the court that the comment ‘Complete Breakdown of Law and Order’ should be removed from the record. He argued that such remarks could have serious political and administrative consequences in the future, which could lead to a situation like President’s rule in the state. However, the Supreme Court did not give any concession on this argument of Sibal and remained firm on its strict remarks.

Showing a mirror to the state government, the court said that it was the responsibility of the administration to ensure the safety of the judges, in which it has completely failed. The court even indicated that the investigation of this case could be handed over to CBI or NIA.

Why did the attack happen despite intelligence information?

The Supreme Court asked another piercing question during the hearing. The court wanted to know that when the intelligence department had the information, why were the judges not taken to a safe place in time? The bench also remarked that West Bengal is badly divided politically at present. On the other hand, the Election Commission’s lawyer also supported the court and said that this comment of the court reflects the ground reality.

Report sought from Chief Secretary and DGP

Based on the letter written by the Chief Justice of Kolkata High Court, the Supreme Court has now sought a detailed report from the Chief Secretary, DGP and Chief Electoral Officer of Bengal. This entire incident has not only raised questions on the working style of the Bengal administration, but has also created an atmosphere of fear regarding the safety of VVIPs and judicial officers. Now it remains to be seen what clarification the state government offers in this report and has the sound of a constitutional crisis really started in Bengal?