Kolkata, March 10 (NationPress) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her approval of the Supreme Court's decision to establish Appellate Tribunals for addressing voter appeals, stating that a pathway previously blocked by the Election Commission has now been reopened.

She referred to the ruling as a beacon of hope for those whose names were removed or categorized as pending due to ‘logical discrepancies’ in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

“The door that was once firmly closed has cracked open. This represents a triumph for the citizens of Bengal,” Banerjee remarked after pausing her sit-in protest in Kolkata.

On Tuesday, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices R. Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi, stated that the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court is authorized to form a panel of former Chief Justices and High Court Judges to adjudicate appeals, and instructed the Election Commission to create an appellate body for these hearings.

The apex court emphasized the necessity of forming Appellate Tribunals comprising former High Court Chief Justices and Judges to address appeals against exclusions made during the SIR process, owing to concerns about the lack of an independent appellate framework.

“The next court session is set for March 25. If election dates are revealed by March 15 or 16, the case will proceed in court. Even on the eve of the elections, voters need not fret about their names on the list. They can approach the court to include their names up to the day before the polls,” Mamata Banerjee added.

Previously, lawyer and Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee remarked that the Supreme Court's decision has undermined the authority of the electoral body.

He clarified that the Supreme Court would instruct the High Court regarding the release of the supplementary list, which would then be communicated to the Election Commission.

“Our stance was that the supplementary list should only be published after resolving pending cases. The court affirmed that this is a significant constitutional right that must be honored,” he stated.

In contrast, the BJP criticized the Trinamool Congress for allegedly misleading the populace in Bengal concerning the SIR and claimed that the government had faced judicial rebukes for questioning the actions of judicial officials.

“The public has lost trust in the Trinamool. They are unable to place confidence in its leadership, which continuously doubts the Election Commission and questions its operations. They have raised issues about judicial officers in court. The state government displays no shame, facing court reprimands daily,” stated senior BJP leader Tapas Roy.