Synopsis
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court is set to hear a PIL regarding the participation of foreign nationals as candidates in West Bengal elections, emphasizing the need for proper verification to prevent fraudulent claims of Indian citizenship.Key Takeaways
- The Calcutta High Court will hear a PIL on foreign candidates.
- Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam is leading the bench.
- Concerns raised about past controversies with foreign nationals in elections.
- Petitioner highlights cases of identity fraud.
- Upcoming Assembly polls prompt urgent scrutiny.
Kolkata, March 10 (NationPress) A significant public interest litigation (PIL) is set to be heard this week by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court concerning the potential involvement of foreign nationals as candidates in the upcoming elections in West Bengal.
The division bench, led by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay, will address the PIL submitted by Manik Fakir, which includes the External Affairs Ministry, the Election Commission of India (ECI), and the West Bengal Election Commission as respondents.
According to sources within the High Court, the case is anticipated to be heard on March 13.
The petitioner has raised concerns based on previous controversies surrounding foreign nationals contesting in both the state Assembly elections managed by the ECI and local Panchayat elections overseen by the State Election Commission.
This led to the inclusion of both the ECI and the West Bengal Election Commission in the public interest litigation, while the involvement of the External Affairs Ministry is due to the implications regarding foreign nationals.
In his PIL, the petitioner insists that with the vital Assembly elections approaching next year, the responsible authorities must ensure that no foreign national is able to contest by utilizing forged identity documents that claim Indian citizenship.
To illustrate his point, the petitioner referenced the case of Lovely Khatun, a Trinamool Congress Panchayat Chief who was elected as the head of a village panchayat in Malda district during the 2023 three-tier panchayat polls. It was later uncovered that her real name is Nasia Sheikh, a Bangladeshi national who entered India in 2015 and secured fake Indian identity documentation.
The petitioner also mentioned concerns regarding Alo Rani Sarkar, a candidate from the Bangaon (Dakshin) Assembly constituency in the North 24 Parganas district during the 2021 state Assembly elections. Although she was defeated by BJP's Swapan Majumdar, an election petition was filed questioning her Indian identity, revealing that her name was listed in the voters’ list of Bangladesh.
