NEW DELHI: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking urgent directions to ensure protection of judicial officers, government officials and citizens from alleged politically motivated violence and intimidation in poll-bound West Bengal.
The plea, filed by Satish Kumar Aggarwal, an ex-Vice President of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, has invoked the top court’s jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution, alleging a pattern of electoral violence and obstruction of public officials in the state over the years.
The petition seeks directions to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to take “all necessary steps”, including deployment of adequate Central security forces, to safeguard officials and the public, and to ensure free, fair and safe conduct of elections in West Bengal. It has also sought directions for the state government to maintain law and order during the election period, as well as in the post-election phase.
Highlighting past instances, the plea referred to reports of violence during the 2013 rural elections, where 39 people were allegedly killed, and a significant number of seats were won uncontested, purportedly due to intimidation.