New Delhi: Complaining of a “disturbing pattern” in the West Bengal government’s conduct during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of making provocative remarks against poll officials and creating an atmosphere of intimidation.
In a 91-page affidavit given to the Supreme Court Monday, the ECI gave instances of Banerjee’s speeches to claim that the chief minister has “explicitly” urged the public to take the law into their own hands.
In its affidavit, the ECI has referred to reports by electoral roll observers, saying they indicate that seemingly responding to such entreaties, groups of women, allegedly mobilised by political operatives, have obstructed and disrupted the activities of Block Level Officers (BLOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs,) and Assistant EROs while vociferously expressing politically motivated slogans.
This, the commission added, has isolated the election officials working in the state, performing their “statutory duties,” and subjected them to “unwarranted pressure” that has intensified with the local police authorities’ refusal to register FIRs on complaints by BLOs.
Banerjee’s conduct in her state is in stark contrast to her “professed commitment” to co-operate, said the ECI affidavit, also talking about a “systematic pattern of violence and threats” against election officials and the chief minister’s “inherently provocative” speeches, which she has been delivering “persistently”.
The ECI affidavit was filed in response to an organisation’s petition that seeks protection for BLOs working in West Bengal. The petitioner – Sanatani Sangsad – has sought to highlight the alleged violence against BLOs there.
ECI’s affidavit cited Banerjee’s press conference on 14 January where, it alleged, she “engaged in fear-mongering, disseminated misleading and erroneous information regarding the SIR process, overtly threatened and targeted election officials, and sought to incite alarm amongst the electorate.”
In another speech, it said, she “identified and targeted a Micro Observer,” subjecting him to intimidation.
“Such conduct not only undermines the assurances of collaboration offered before this court, but also gravely compromises the independence, neutrality, and safety of election officials. It vitiates the environment requisite for the execution of a free, fair, and fearless revision process,” submitted the ECI affidavit.
The repercussions of such speeches are being acutely felt on the ground, with micro observers in some areas formally withdrawing from their SIR responsibilities due to violent assaults on them and lack of adequate security provisions, the ECI has alleged.
The ECI gave two examples to support this contention. In the first, it said, nine micro observers sought to relieve themselves from the SIR duty through a letter they wrote to the Chief Election Officer of the state on 14 January.
A day later, it added, the office of the development officer in Chakulia district was ransacked by a mob of 700 persons, who destroyed the computer infrastructure used in SIR-related work.
Previously, in November last year, protestors claiming to be BLOs attempted forcible entry into the office of the Chief Electoral Officer. “Despite explicit directives issued to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, the demonstrators were not removed from the office premises,” the affidavit complained.
Unlike other states where the SIR process has been “relatively incident free,” West Bengal, the ECI told the SC, has witnessed “numerous occurrences of violence, intimidation, and obstruction against election officials.”
Largely, the state police have shown reluctance to register FIRs in such instances. However, in some cases FIRs were documented, but only subsequent to intervention by the DEO, with arrests occurring belatedly thereafter, the ECI claimed.
This was in contrast to other states, where SIR took place, that promptly registered FIRs and implemented disciplinary measures.
But West Bengal “has willfully neglected to do so, even in the wake of formal inquiries and written acknowledgments by Electoral Registration Officers regarding their dereliction of duty”.
Underlining the significance of successful culmination of the SIR exercise in a fearless environment, the ECI affidavit also pointed out sitting a state minister’s statement that threatened to “break the legs of Election Commission” and a TMC MLA’s warning that deletion of names during the SIR would constitute “playing with fire”.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)
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