Supreme Court refuses Trinamool plea to postpone Tripura civic polls


The Hindu

Write Comment     |     E-Mail To a Friend     |     Facebook     |     Twitter     |     Print


Supreme Court refuses Trinamool plea to postpone Tripura civic polls

The Supreme Court did not accede on Tuesday to a plea by the Trinamool Congress to postpone the conduct of municipal elections in Tripura, saying such step was a “last and extreme recourse”.

A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Vikram Nath, however, directed the Director General Police of Tripura and Inspector General (Law and Order) to meet with the State Election Commission on November 24 to assess the number of CRPF required to “ensure the peaceful conduct of elections”. The officers should then requisition the CRPF or the Ministry of Home Affairs for the forces. Voting for civic body elections is scheduled on November 25.

 “The DGP and IGP shall take all steps to ensure that election process is conducted in a peaceful manner, particularly on November 25, leading up to the counting of ballots on November 28,” the court directed.

The court said that while “we are not inclined to accede to the prayer for postponement of elections”, it would be the duty of the DGP, IGP and the Home Secretary to assuage any misgivings about fairness in the electoral process in Tripura.

Noting that the law enforcement agencies in the State have to act in an “even-handed, non-partisan manner”, the court cautioned the DGP to scrupulously abide by the court’s directions to obviate the need for it to take “coercive action”.

The court directed the State to provide a tabulated statement of the complaints lodged, FIRs registered, action taken, arrests made, to be filed along with a compliance affidavit on November 25, the next day of hearing of the case.

During the hearing, the Trinamool Congress accused the State and the police of being mute spectators while goons roamed the street, indulging in wanton violence against its candidates. The party, represented by senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, produced photographs in court allegedly of “severe violence” meted out by helmeted men even as the “police look here and there”.

Gupta said there have been instances of ransacking, a journalist was beaten up and political workers are being “driven out”.

“All this would have a direct effect on the workers... Please give orders to bump up security, then grant a week for campaigning without fear of violence. This would not cause a significant change in the democratic process. Campaigning itself has not been possible. Voters’ confidence is low,” Gupta submitted.

The Tripura government, represented by senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, said the petition by Trinamool Congress is a “politically contrived” one, filed in the Supreme Court on the eve of the elections.

“How many arrests have you made,” Justice Chandrachud asked the government even as Trinamool said the “only arrests made so far is of my party members”.

Jethmalani said “appropriate legal action” has been taken against 88 “trouble mongers”.

“What do you mean by ‘appropriate legal action’? Have you made any arrests,” Justice Chandrachud quizzed.

Jethmalani said, “no arrests have been made for scuffles”. He referred to a Supreme Court judgment which dissuaded arrest if the offence attracted a punishment less than five years’ imprisonment. He said 10 FIRs have been registered on incidents which were “minor skirmishes” between members of the Trinamool and BJP, the ruling party in the State.

He said two out of three battalions of CRPF stationed in Tripura were already deployed to protect the elections. “The problem is with their performance, which is abysmal. They have been standing around as violence goes on,” Gupta said, pointing to the photographs.

Jethmalani countered that these photographs did not have any probative value of evidence. Gupta then referred to a statement from the State police chief which said more could be re-deployed from other parts of the State by “thinning-out” existing deployment in the State or from Jammu and Kashmir.

Write your Comments on this Article
Your Name
Native Place / Place of Residence
Your E-mail
Your Comment   You have characters left.
Security Validation
Enter the characters in the image above
    
Disclaimer: Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Kemmannu.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.
Please note that under 66A of the IT Act, sending offensive or menacing messages through electronic communication service and sending false messages to cheat, mislead or deceive people or to cause annoyance to them is punishable. It is obligatory on kemmannu.com to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request. Hence, sending offensive comments using kemmannu.com will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Kemmannu.com be held responsible.
Similarly, Kemmannu.com reserves the right to edit / block / delete the messages without notice any content received from readers.




Mangalorean Teen Feryl Rodrigues Shines as May Que
View More

Final Journey of John Henry Almeida (71 years) | LIVE from UdyavaraFinal Journey of John Henry Almeida (71 years) | LIVE from Udyavara
Final Journey of Mrs. Severine Pais (85 years) | LIVE from Milagres, Kallianpur, UdupiFinal Journey of Mrs. Severine Pais (85 years) | LIVE from Milagres, Kallianpur, Udupi
Final Journey of Mrs Lennie Saldanha (89 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu | UdupiFinal Journey of Mrs Lennie Saldanha (89 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu | Udupi
Final Journey of Zita Lewis (77 years) | LIVE from Kallianpur, UdupiFinal Journey of Zita Lewis (77 years) | LIVE from Kallianpur, Udupi
Final Journey of Henry Andrade (83 years) | LIVE from KemmannuFinal Journey of Henry Andrade (83 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu
Final Journey of Mr. Leo Britto (65 years) | LIVE from Mother of Sorrows Church, UdupiFinal Journey of Mr. Leo Britto (65 years) | LIVE from Mother of Sorrows Church, Udupi
Mount Rosary Church - Rozaricho Gaanch May 2025 IssueMount Rosary Church - Rozaricho Gaanch May 2025 Issue
Final Journey of Juliana Machado (93 years) | LIVE from Udyavara | UdupiFinal Journey of Juliana Machado (93 years) | LIVE from Udyavara | Udupi
Final Journey of Charles Pereira (78 years) | LIVE from KemmannuFinal Journey of Charles Pereira (78 years) | LIVE from Kemmannu
Milarchi Laram, Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Diocese of Udupi, Bulletin - April 2025Milarchi Laram, Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Diocese of Udupi, Bulletin - April 2025
Holy Saturday | St. Theresa Church, KemmannuHoly Saturday | St. Theresa Church, Kemmannu
Final Journey of Albert Lewis (85years) | LIVE From St Theresa’s Church Kemmannu | UdupiFinal Journey of Albert Lewis (85years) | LIVE From St Theresa’s Church Kemmannu | Udupi
Final Journey of Bernard G D’Souza | LIVE from MoodubelleFinal Journey of Bernard G D’Souza | LIVE from Moodubelle
Earth Angels Kemmannu Unite: Supporting Asha Fernandes on Women’s DayEarth Angels Kemmannu Unite: Supporting Asha Fernandes on Women’s Day
Final Journey of Joseph Peter Fernandes (64 years) | LIVE From Milagres, Kallianpur, UdupiFinal Journey of Joseph Peter Fernandes (64 years) | LIVE From Milagres, Kallianpur, Udupi
Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Udupi - Parish Bulletin - January 2025 IssueMilagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, Udupi - Parish Bulletin - January 2025 Issue
Rozaricho Gaanch 2024 December Issue - Mount Rosary Church, SanthekatteRozaricho Gaanch 2024 December Issue - Mount Rosary Church, Santhekatte
Land/Houses for Sale in Kaup, Manipal, Kallianpur, Santhekatte, Uppor, Nejar, Kemmannu, Malpe, Ambalpady.Land/Houses  for Sale in Kaup, Manipal, Kallianpur, Santhekatte, Uppor, Nejar, Kemmannu, Malpe, Ambalpady.
Naturya - Taste of Namma Udupi - Order NOWNaturya - Taste of Namma Udupi - Order NOW
Focus Studio, Near Hotel Kidiyoor, UdupiFocus Studio, Near Hotel Kidiyoor, Udupi