‘Won’t allow any impediment in SIR’: Supreme Court pulls up Mamata govt over delay in sharing officers’ details

The top court asked as quoted by NDTV, “Why was there a delay in sending the names of more than 8,000 Group B officers to be used in place of micro-observers?”

Heading a three-judge bench, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant sought an explanation from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on why the list of officers was submitted only at 12 am on February 7, even though the court’s order had been passed on February 4.

During the hearing, the Election Commission of India (ECI) alleged that crucial particulars and details of the officers had not been shared by the state government. This was contested by senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Banerjee, who maintained that the names had already been sent to the poll panel.

In a significant observation, the court made it clear that while it may issue clarifications if required, it would not allow any disruption to the SIR process.

“Whatever orders or clarifications are required, we will issue them. But we will not allow any impediment in the SIR. This must be understood by all states,” CJI Kant said, as quoted by Live Law.

Last week, Banerjee escalated her political and legal battle with the ECI by approaching the Supreme Court, launching a sharp attack on the poll body over the controversial SIR exercise.

In an unusual moment during the proceedings, Banerjee bypassed her counsel and addressed the bench directly for nearly 10–15 minutes, expressing concerns over what she termed as discrimination against poll-bound West Bengal.

CJI Kant, assured her that the court would attempt to resolve the differences and work towards an amicable solution.