Supreme Court repudiates plea filed for free and fair assembly polls in West Bengal

Supreme Court repudiates plea filed for free and fair assembly polls in West Bengal written by Shivangi Pandey student of Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad

The Apex Court refused to entertain a PIL filed for issuing directions to the Centre, the West Bengal government, and the Election Commission for the purpose of conducting “free, fair, peaceful and safe” assembly polls scheduled for this year in West Bengal.

The bench provided the liberty to the petitioner to take up any other remedy permissible by the governing statute.

The plea also sought relief from other instrumentalities of law, whereby the petitioner sought a direction to the CBI to probe into the mysterious killings of political activists in the state.

Puneet Kaur Dhanda, the Petitioner, alleged that the Rohingya voters from Telangana state have got themselves registered as voters in West Bengal to contribute in disguised voting and that the Hindu voters are prohibited to step in areas where Muslims are in majority.

The petitioner’s allegations also included an attack on BJP President, J P Nadda, and other BJP leaders as well.

The petitioner urged the Apex Court to act as a watchdog in the process of assembly polls to ensure that free and fair elections take place.

The petitioner backed its plea by citing a number of violations of fundamental rights, human rights, and statutory rights in the state of West Bengal, and said that the infringements have reached their pinnacle as the ruling government and law enforcement agencies are involved in it.

The petitioner sought Apex Court’s interference in order to curb the brutal violations and to ensure unbiased elections.

The plea also sought relief against the senior officers who failed to abide by their duty to protect the BJP President, and against the state machinery who violated citizens’ right to vote under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

The petitioner alleged that there has been systematic prosecution of opposition’s political leaders and sought a direction to respective authorities to submit a detailed report of action taken against such killings.

The plea also sought the deployment of paramilitary forces in the state during the assembly polls.

However, the Supreme Court refused to hear the plea and asked the petitioner to sought relief from other remedies permissible under the law.