A Division Bench of Calcutta High Court’s Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam on Wednesday directed the West Bengal State Election Commission and the state government to deploy 82,000 central armed forces personnel for the forthcoming panchayat polls
Representation image [File Photo]
A Division Bench of Calcutta High Court’s Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam on Wednesday directed the West Bengal State Election Commission and the state government to deploy 82,000 central armed forces personnel for the forthcoming panchayat polls.
According to the Division Bench the deployment of 82,000 personnel is in the lines of deployment of central forces personnel in 2013 rural civic body polls which overseen by the then State Election Commission Meera Pandey. The court directed the State Election Commission to apply to the Union home ministry for 82,000 personnel deployment.
On Wednesday, the State Election Commission submitted a requisition to the Union ministry for deployment of just 22 companies or just around 2,200 personnel of central armed forces. The Division Bench also criticised the State Election Commission and questioned the neutrality of the commission. “After so many developments, I am bound to say that the question remains on the neutrality of the State Election Commission. It is most unfortunate that a contempt of court petition has been filed against the State Election Commissioner.
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I request you to follow the court orders,” Justice Sivagnanam observed. He also advised the SEC Rajiva Sinha to quit his chair if he is unable to bear the pressure of his position. “The Governor will appoint someone else for the chair,” Justice Sivagnanam observed. Quoting high court’s observations, Trinamul Congress state spokesman said that the judges seem to be behaving in a blind manner.
“The judges are floating those things that are in the minds of the opposition leaders through their observations. Why can’t the judges ask the CBI to arrest the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari who had been named in the FIR for the Narada video scam?” Ghosh questioned
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