Chaos Outside EC Office: Minutes After SC's Order On West Bengal SIR, TMC Workers Stage Huge Protest

Kolkata: A huge chaos broke out outside the office of Election Commission in West Bengal on Friday, minutes after the Supreme Court directed the Kolkata High Court to deploy judicial officials for the smooth conduct of special intensive revision (SIR) in the state. TMC BLOs gathered in huge number outside the EC office in Kolkata and demonstrated against the apex court's order.

Visuals from the protest showed demonstrators holding posters and climbing on top of police barricades.

While passing the “extraordinary order”, the apex court cited that there is an “unfortunate blame game” between the state government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) and it was “hardly left with any option” but to pass the order to ensure fairness in adjudication of genuineness of documents.

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant called the standoff between the state and the ECI a display of “trust deficit” between two constitutional functionaries. Expressing disappointment, CJI Kant said, “We were expecting cooperation by the state.”

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly accused the ECI of “targeting” West Bengal on the “eve of elections”, flagging several issues with the SIR and demanding that the elections be conducted based on electoral rolls prepared last year. 

Also Read- 'Extraordinary Circumstances': SC Directs Deployment Of Judicial Officers For West Bengal SIR