The Supreme Court has given another opportunity to the people who did not find a place in the SIR draft list of West Bengal. The court has asked the Election Commission to make public the names of more than one crore people who have not found a place in the draft list on the basis of doubt about the information related to them. These people will get 10 days to present their documents.
Trinamool Congress MPs Dola Sen and Derek O’Brien have filed a petition complaining of irregularities in the Special Intensive Review (SIR). During the hearing in the Supreme Court, he told that notices were sent to more than 1 crore voters by putting them in the logical discrepancy category. The errors recorded by the Election Commission include age difference of up to 15 years between the voter and his/her parents, more than 50 years age difference between the voter and his/her parents, less than 40 years age difference between the voter and his/her grandparents.
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the Election Commission, defended it and said that receiving the notice does not mean deletion of the name from the voter list. People can present their views before the Election Commission official by presenting satisfactory documents. Dwivedi said that according to the voter list, one person has 234 children, there are 7 people who have more than 100 children. It is the job of the Election Commission to look at such things with suspicion and ask for documents.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant agreed with the Election Commission’s argument. On this, senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, appearing for Trinamool leaders, said that care should be taken of the illiterate people of rural areas. He is being called to such a far away place to present the documents that he cannot go there. Along with Sibal, senior lawyer Shyam Dewan and Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee also cross-examined the petitioner’s side.
At the end of the hearing, the court said that considering the ground realities, it is in favor of giving time to those who did not find a place in the list. The court asked the Election Commission to publish the names of more than 1 crore people included in the ‘logical error’ category. These names should be placed in Panchayat Bhawan, Tehsil Office or Ward Office. After this, people can present their documents within 10 days. People should appear before the officer themselves or through their representative. Facility to present documents is available in Tehsil office and Panchayat Bhawan.
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