New Delhi, February 21 Union Minister Kiren Rijiju 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 stated that the Mamata Banerjee government will now have to fully support the exercise.
Rijiju said the apex 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.
The Supreme Court, dismayed by the ongoing tussle between the West Bengal government and the Election Commission (EC), issued an "extraordinary" direction on Friday, asking the state to deploy serving and former district judges to assist the poll panel in the controversial SIR process.
The bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi passed a series of fresh directions to ensure the completion of the SIR, citing the "unfortunate blame game" and "lack of trust" between the EC and the "democratically-elected" TMC government.
Asked about the court order, Rijiju 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 here.
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 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.
