Bengal SIR hearing in Supreme Court today, Mamata Banerjee seeks to argue own case
Sources have said that Mamata Banerjee is likely to seek permission from the Chief Justice of India to argue the SIR case in person. Through her legal team, she has filed an interim application requesting the Supreme Court's approval to make submissions directly.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to appear before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in connection with the ongoing case related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state.
Sources have said that Banerjee, who has an LLB degree, is likely to seek permission from Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to argue the case in person. Through her legal team, she has filed an interim application requesting the court’s approval to make submissions directly.
Later in the day, a bench comprising the Chief Justice of India and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, will hear a bunch of pleas filed by the Chief Minister, Trinamool Congress MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, and petitioner Mostari Banu.
A pass for entry into the Supreme Court premises has also been issued in her name, signalling her expected presence during the hearing.
In her latest interim application, Banerjee said that she is a petitioner in the West Bengal SIR case and is well acquainted with its facts.
She has further affirmed that she is fully aware of the decorum and procedures of the Supreme Court and has undertaken to conduct herself in accordance with established rules and practice.
The application also notes that she is familiar with the ground realities faced by residents of West Bengal in light of the SIR exercise currently underway in the state.
Ahead of the hearing, Banerjee has filed a fresh application seeking urgent orders to stop the Election Commission from deleting names from the state’s electoral rolls. Her plea warns of possible large-scale disenfranchisement and alleges that notices have been sent to voters even over minor discrepancies.
She has asked the court to ensure that no one listed on the 2022 roll is removed, to prevent any voter disenfranchisement during the revision, to drop mandatory personal hearings, and to direct the EC to accept a broader set of documents, including Aadhaar and various state-issued residence and identity certificates, as valid proof.
The application is likely to be taken up during today’s hearing.
BENGAL SIR CASE
Just a day ago, Banerjee escalated her standoff with the Election Commission over the SIR process and declared she was “knocking on every door” to protect democracy.
Invoking the judiciary as a key pillar of the Constitution, Banerjee said she had now turned to the media, bringing alleged victims of the SIR exercise before cameras, so the country could “see with its own eyes” what she described as serious discrepancies unfolding in Bengal ahead of the elections.
During the January 19 hearing, the Supreme Court issued a series of directions on the SIR exercise in West Bengal, stressing that the process must remain transparent and should not cause inconvenience to voters.
The court directed the Election Commission to publicly display the names of individuals flagged under a category termed “logical discrepancies” at gram panchayat bhavans and block offices.
These centres were also designated as the locations where voters could submit supporting documents and file objections.
The EC has described “logical discrepancies” as cases where there are inconsistencies in linking voters to the 2002 electoral roll, such as mismatches in a parent’s name or age gaps between a voter and their parent that are either less than 15 years or more than 50 years.
Taking note of the scale of the exercise, the bench led by the Chief Justice of India observed that nearly 1.25 crore voters in the state had been placed on the “logical discrepancies” list.
The Chief Minister, however, moved the Supreme Court on January 28, naming the Election Commission and the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer as parties in her petition.
She had earlier written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, urging the poll body to halt what she described as an “arbitrary and flawed” SIR exercise in the poll-bound state.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to appear before the Supreme Court on Wednesday in connection with the ongoing case related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state.
Sources have said that Banerjee, who has an LLB degree, is likely to seek permission from Chief Justice of India Surya Kant to argue the case in person. Through her legal team, she has filed an interim application requesting the court’s approval to make submissions directly.
Later in the day, a bench comprising the Chief Justice of India and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, will hear a bunch of pleas filed by the Chief Minister, Trinamool Congress MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, and petitioner Mostari Banu.
A pass for entry into the Supreme Court premises has also been issued in her name, signalling her expected presence during the hearing.
In her latest interim application, Banerjee said that she is a petitioner in the West Bengal SIR case and is well acquainted with its facts.
She has further affirmed that she is fully aware of the decorum and procedures of the Supreme Court and has undertaken to conduct herself in accordance with established rules and practice.
The application also notes that she is familiar with the ground realities faced by residents of West Bengal in light of the SIR exercise currently underway in the state.
Ahead of the hearing, Banerjee has filed a fresh application seeking urgent orders to stop the Election Commission from deleting names from the state’s electoral rolls. Her plea warns of possible large-scale disenfranchisement and alleges that notices have been sent to voters even over minor discrepancies.
She has asked the court to ensure that no one listed on the 2022 roll is removed, to prevent any voter disenfranchisement during the revision, to drop mandatory personal hearings, and to direct the EC to accept a broader set of documents, including Aadhaar and various state-issued residence and identity certificates, as valid proof.
The application is likely to be taken up during today’s hearing.
BENGAL SIR CASE
Just a day ago, Banerjee escalated her standoff with the Election Commission over the SIR process and declared she was “knocking on every door” to protect democracy.
Invoking the judiciary as a key pillar of the Constitution, Banerjee said she had now turned to the media, bringing alleged victims of the SIR exercise before cameras, so the country could “see with its own eyes” what she described as serious discrepancies unfolding in Bengal ahead of the elections.
During the January 19 hearing, the Supreme Court issued a series of directions on the SIR exercise in West Bengal, stressing that the process must remain transparent and should not cause inconvenience to voters.
The court directed the Election Commission to publicly display the names of individuals flagged under a category termed “logical discrepancies” at gram panchayat bhavans and block offices.
These centres were also designated as the locations where voters could submit supporting documents and file objections.
The EC has described “logical discrepancies” as cases where there are inconsistencies in linking voters to the 2002 electoral roll, such as mismatches in a parent’s name or age gaps between a voter and their parent that are either less than 15 years or more than 50 years.
Taking note of the scale of the exercise, the bench led by the Chief Justice of India observed that nearly 1.25 crore voters in the state had been placed on the “logical discrepancies” list.
The Chief Minister, however, moved the Supreme Court on January 28, naming the Election Commission and the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer as parties in her petition.
She had earlier written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, urging the poll body to halt what she described as an “arbitrary and flawed” SIR exercise in the poll-bound state.