Is Trinamool Congress Challenging SIR in the Supreme Court?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Kolkata, Nov 10 (NationPress) - On Monday, the Trinamool Congress took a significant step by filing a petition with the Supreme Court against the special intensive revision (SIR) being conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in West Bengal, which commenced on November 4.
The petition was submitted to the apex court by Mala Roy, a Lok Sabha member, along with Dolan Sen, a member of the Rajya Sabha.
This matter is expected to be heard on Tuesday.
The petition was lodged shortly after Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, publicly criticized the Union Government and the ECI for what she described as the hasty execution of the SIR in the state during a press briefing in Siliguri, located in the Darjeeling district.
She further claimed that the way the revision process was initiated has instigated fear among the citizens of West Bengal, resulting in tragic incidents of suicides and attempts.
A source within the Trinamool Congress indicated that the primary argument in the petition is that the rushed implementation of the SIR could lead to errors, potentially causing the removal of legitimate leaders from the voter registry.
Furthermore, the Trinamool Congress has requested that the SIR operation in West Bengal be suspended until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on the issue. "Our foremost responsibility is to safeguard the democratic rights of the people of West Bengal, which is why we opted to approach the apex court," stated a party leader.
From the onset, the Trinamool Congress has opposed the SIR, alleging that it is a scheme devised by the BJP and the Union Government to impose the NRC in the state.
Conversely, the BJP asserts that the Trinamool Congress's resistance to the revision initiative stems from their apprehension that the names of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya voters will be eliminated from the electoral roll.