Bengal govt bent on derailing SIR, following old and flawed electoral roll: EC to top court

It said that “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…”.

The ECI added that “regrettably, this confederacy is not confined to fringe elements. The actions demonstrate the complicity of all key actors of the state, including the State Government, certain elected representatives of the ruling party, and party functionaries.”

The affidavit referred to the January 19 order of the apex court asking the state government to provide adequate manpower to the ECI and directing the state DGP, SPs and district collectors to maintain law and order.

It said that despite this, “non-cooperation, obstruction, intimidation and interference” have continued even after the order.

The ECI said that the “incumbent Chief Minister, Members of Parliament, and other political functionaries of the ruling dispensation in…West Bengal have made public statements and delivered speeches aimed at intimidating the election officials engaged in the SIR process.” It pointed out that West Bengal “is the only state where the Central Government had to intervene and provide security to the Chief Electoral Officer.”

The affidavit said that when the SC declined to stay the SIR process, “a concerted campaign of non-cooperation and obstruction was initiated against the SIR, aimed at derailing an exercise undertaken by a constitutional authority in the discharge of a constitutional duty.”

The ECI said, “Even while the matter is sub judice. threats have been issued to Micro-Observers discharging official duties by…Mahua Moitra, MP from TMC, in an interview given to a news channel”.

Referring to speeches of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and alleged incidents of violence in different parts of the state, the ECI said, “The situation has been further aggravated by provocative public speeches by leaders at the highest level of the ruling dispensation, openly attacking the ECI and the SIR process.”

“What inevitably followed were attacks on hearing centres, vandalisation of government offices, burning of statutory forms submitted by the electors/BLAs, threats to Micro-Observers, and violence against Booth Level Officers.”

Banerjee, in a petition, had urged the Supreme Court to hold the State Assembly elections on the basis of the 2025 electoral rolls.

Opposing this, the ECI said, “when the…conduct of deliberate inaction by the Government of West Bengal is viewed alongside the…prayer seeking conduct of elections on the unrevised 2025 electoral roll, the underlying intent becomes evident, that is to abort the SIR process entirely and to perpetuate an electoral roll already shown to contain serious infirmities.”