'Postpone' polls in affected seats: Calcutta HC on Navami violence
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday warned that it would not allow voting in Lok Sabha constituencies in West Bengal that have been affected by communal violence during the Ram Navami celebrations. The observation by a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam came during a hearing on the violence that took place in Murshidabad on April 17 during a Navami procession.
Court suggests EC not to hold elections in these districts
The court suggested that if the current conditions persist, the Election Commission of India may be advised not to hold parliamentary elections in these districts. It criticized the ongoing conflicts despite the Model Code of Conduct being in effect. The bench pointed out that peaceful processions were held in Kolkata on Ram Navami without any reported violence, contrasting sharply with the situation in other areas.
Court questions role of State Police, Central Forces
The court questioned the role of state police and central forces during these incidents, asking why they were unable to prevent such clashes. The state counsel informed the court that the Crime Investigation Department has now taken over the investigation into these violent incidents. In response, Sivagnanam's bench proposed recommending to the ECI that people who cannot celebrate peacefully should not be allowed to participate in elections.
HC suggests polls should be deferred in Berhampore
While no official order was issued regarding election deferment, the high court suggested that polls should be deferred in Berhampore, which falls under Murshidabad. Murshidabad will go to polls on May 7. The bench asked the state counsel about how many people have been arrested in connection with the violence-related cases. The court directed state police to file a report on communal clashes and scheduled another hearing for Friday.
