AMID West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s apprehension of “mass exclusion” of voters in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State, the Supreme Court on Monday said it would not allow anyone to create an impediment in the exercise. A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria said it would issue whatever orders or clarifications are required in the matter. “We will not allow anyone to create any impediment in the SIR exercise. It must be clear to the States,” the CJI said while hearing a batch of petitions, including the one filed by Banerjee, related to the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The bench took note of the affidavit filed by the Election Commission (EC) which alleged burning of its notices by some miscreants. It directed the West Bengal Director General of Police (DGP) to file an affidavit in this regard. The poll panel said that so far, no FIR has been registered against the miscreants.

 

“A message must go that the Constitution of India applies to all States,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said. The top court took note of the West Bengal Government providing a list of 8,505 Group B officers to the poll panel, and said they may be trained and employed in the SIR process. The bench clarified that final decisions on revision of the electoral rolls will always be taken by the electoral roll officers. The bench said the manner of employment and work profile of these 8,505 officers will be decided by the poll panel. During the hearing, senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Banerjee, raised apprehensions about the appointment of micro-observers and mass exclusion of eligible voters in the SIR exercise. “We don’t want any mass exclusion,” Divan told the bench. Deliberate attempts to paralyse SIR in WB, EC tells SC: EC has told the Supreme Court that deliberate and systematic attempts are being made to derail, paralyse and frustrate its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal.

 

In its additional affidavit, the poll panel alleged the complicity of the State Government, some elected representatives of the ruling party and other party functionaries who properly planned and acted to stop the SIR by any means -- fair or foul. The affidavit said that the obstruction of the SIR was a matter of “grave constitutional concern”. “The material placed on record discloses that through proper planning and concerted action, deliberate and systematic attempts are being made to derail, paralyse and frustrate the SIR exercise being undertaken by the EC in the state of West Bengal. “The actions demonstrate complicity of the key actors of the state, including the state government, certain elected representatives of the ruling party, and party functionaries,” the affidavit said.