New Delhi, Feb 4 The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Wednesday a batch of petitions challenging the validity of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out in West Bengal, including one filed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of political bias and adopting an authoritarian approach in conducting the SIR.
As per the causelist uploaded on the website of the apex court, a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Panchol will take up the matter for hearing on February 4.
Chief Minister Banerjee had filed her petition before the apex court, questioning the legality of the SIR process and alleging that the manner in which it is being conducted could lead to the disenfranchisement of lakhs of voters, particularly those belonging to marginalised sections of society.
In her plea, the West Bengal Chief Minister accused the ECI of acting with political intent and claimed that a constitutional authority, from which impartiality and protection of democratic values are expected, has reached a stage that is “extremely worrying for any democratic society”.
She has sought the Supreme Court’s direct intervention in the matter and prayed for appropriate directions to the poll body.
Earlier, Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra and Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen had approached the apex court on behalf of the ruling party, challenging the SIR exercise in West Bengal.
Those petitions are also listed before the CJI Kant-led Bench for hearing on Tuesday.
The development assumes significance as Banerjee had met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at the ECI headquarters in New Delhi earlier on Monday to raise objections over the SIR exercise.
Following the meeting, the Chief Minister levelled sharp allegations against the CEC, describing him as “arrogant” and accusing him of targeting West Bengal at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Banerjee had also alleged large-scale deletion of genuine voters’ names from the draft electoral rolls and claimed that special electoral roll observers and micro-observers had been appointed exclusively for West Bengal to supervise the revision process.
The ECI, however, has rejected the allegations, with sources in the poll body stating that the CEC made it clear during the meeting that the rule of law must prevail and that any obstruction, pressure or interference in the SIR exercise would not be tolerated.
The poll body has also flagged instances of alleged threats and vandalism involving electoral officials during the ongoing revision.
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