A Bench led by Chief Justice Suryakant noted that while the SIR exercise is currently underway in 12 states, West Bengal has reported incidents of intimidation. “Some leaders come to court only for publicity. The Election Commission must handle the matter. If state governments do not cooperate, the situation may slip into anarchy,” the CJI observed.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi pointed out that only one FIR has been registered over recent threats to BLOs and that other incidents cited in the petition were older. The court said it expects the Commission to verify the gravity of the situation and to escalate any obstruction to the judiciary without delay.
The Bench underlined that the lack of cooperation from certain state administrations in facilitating SIR work is a matter of institutional concern. “If there are instances of interference in the functioning of BLOs or denial of support, bring them to our notice. We will pass appropriate orders,” the court said.
During the hearing, the ECI stated that it has full constitutional authority to protect its officers and will consider deploying police personnel on deputation if intimidation escalates. It added that immediate intervention may be required should the environment become unsafe for election-related fieldwork.
The court will take up the matter after the Commission files its response. The proceedings signal firmer judicial scrutiny of state compliance as the revision of electoral rolls advances in multiple regions ahead of upcoming election cycles.
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