In a significant development concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, the Supreme Court has directed the state's Director General of Police (DGP) to file a personal affidavit addressing allegations made by the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding disruptions and failures to act on unlawful activities. The ECI has accused the state government and its functionaries of actively obstructing and issuing threats to officials involved in the SIR process.
The Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria, made it clear that it would not allow anyone to impede the SIR exercise. This firm stance comes amidst claims by the ECI of deliberate and systematic attempts to derail, paralyze, and frustrate the SIR process in West Bengal. The ECI, in its additional affidavit, stated that these attempts involve the complicity of key actors in the state, including the state government, elected representatives of the ruling party, and party functionaries. The ECI alleged that every possible tactic is being used to stop or frustrate the SIR process through both fair and foul means.
The allegations include instances of violence, intimidation, hostility, and the burning of notices by miscreants. The ECI has also claimed that despite repeated complaints, no First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered in connection with the alleged violence and mass burning of objection forms. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, highlighted the alarming facts presented in the ECI's affidavit, urging the court to send a message that the Constitution applies to all states.
In response to these concerns, the Supreme Court has directed the West Bengal DGP to file a personal affidavit addressing the allegations of violence and obstruction. The court also extended the deadline for the scrutiny of documents and objections related to the SIR by at least one week beyond February 14, recognizing the time required to examine the claims.
Furthermore, the Supreme Court addressed concerns about the involvement of state government officials in the SIR process. The court clarified that the responsibilities assigned to micro-observers and state government officials are limited to assisting the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) in the decision-making process. The bench also directed the West Bengal government to ensure that the 8,505 Group B officers provided to the ECI for SIR-related duty report to the district electoral officers by Tuesday evening. The ECI has the discretion to replace existing EROs or AEROs with these officers, subject to their suitability.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had previously approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the SIR exercise was intended to "bulldoze" the people of Bengal and was primarily focused on deletion rather than inclusion of voters. However, the Supreme Court has reiterated that the SIR process must proceed without hindrance in all states. The court has emphasized that it will issue any necessary orders or clarifications to ensure the smooth completion of the SIR exercise.