Bengal Govt must abide by SC order on SIR: Kiren Rijiju
Union minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday described the Supreme Court’s order for the deployment of judicial officers to assist in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in West Bengal as a “very significant directive” and said the Mamata Banerjee Government will have to fully support the exercise now.
Rijiju said the top court’s directive in the matter has also “completely exposed” the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, which he alleged wants to win the upcoming State Assembly polls by including illegal infiltrators in the voter list.
Dismayed over the ongoing tussle between the West Bengal Government and the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Supreme Court issued an “extraordinary” direction on Friday, asking the State to deploy serving and former district judges to assist the poll panel in the controversy-ridden SIR process.
Ruing the “unfortunate blame game” and “trust deficit” between the ECI and the “democratically-elected” TMC Government, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi passed a slew of fresh directions to ensure the completion of the SIR.
Asked about the court order, Rjiju said, “The Supreme Court’s directive was very necessary and significant for democracy. The Congress and the TMC will now have to extend full support to the SIR for democracy.” “This is very good news for West Bengal and the country. The Supreme Court has given very strict directives. The West Bengal Government, the DGP and the entire State machinery will have to abide by the Supreme Court’s decision,” the senior BJP leader told reporters at the party headquarters.
He alleged that the TMC is against the SIR because it wants to “rig” the State Assembly polls, due in the next few months.
“It wants to win the election by adding the names of illegal ghuspaithiyas (infiltrators) in the voter list. The TMC Government stands completely exposed now,” he said. The top court has ordered the deputation of judicial officers for the adjudication of claims and objections of those put under the logical-discrepancy lists and facing removal of their names from the electoral rolls. Logical discrepancies in progeny linking with the 2002 voter list include instances of a mismatch in the parent’s name and the age difference between a voter and his parent being less than 15 years or more than 50 years.
The top court has asked Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Sujoy Paul to spare some judicial officers and find former judges to assist in the SIR work, as it took serious note of the State Government not sparing enough grade “A” officers for the exercise.
