Pro-Pakistan slogans raised during Asansol anti-Waqf rally, claims BJP
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Action without inquiry would be too harsh, says Bengal on ECI order to suspend 4
Kolkata: The West Bengal government informed the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday that it has withdrawn a state government officer and a data entry operator from election-related duties and initiated an inquiry. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during a programme organised to celebrate 'World Tribal Day' in Jhargram on Thursday. (ANI) This comes days after the ECI directed the Mamata Banerjee government to suspend four West Bengal government officers associated with the updation of electoral rolls and lodge a police complaint against them, as well as a data entry operator. The officers were accused of adding fictitious voters' names to the electoral roll and compromising data security. 'Initiating proceedings before a detailed enquiry against these officers, who have consistently demonstrated sincerity and competence, may be a disproportionately harsh measure. Such an action could have a demoralising impact not only on the individuals but also on the broader team of officers engaged in electoral responsibilities and other administrative functions,' chief secretary Manoj Pant said in a letter to ECI secretary Sujeet Kumar Mishra. On August 5, ECI told the state government to suspend two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) accused of adding fictitious voters to the electoral roll and compromising data security. The poll panel also directed the state's chief secretary to lodge FIRs against the four officers and a casual data entry operator. The two EROs are West Bengal Civil Service (executive) officers. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, however, had made it clear that her government will not penalise the officers. 'Government officers were being threatened. Yesterday two of my government officers were suspended. The state was directed to lodge FIR against them. Has the election been announced? Under which law are you (ECI) directing us? I won't do this. I won't punish them,' she said at a rally in Bengal's Jhargram district two days after getting the ECI directive. On Friday, ECI gave the state government till 3pm on Monday to submit a compliance report on the action taken against the four officers and the data entry operator. The chief secretary said the services of AERO of Moyna AC and the data entry operator of Baruipur Purba have been withdrawn from electoral revision and election-related duties. 'Further action taken report will be submitted post completion of enquiry,' the chief secretary said in his letter on Monday. According to ECI, the two EROs were accused of accepting a large number of Form 6 from alleged fictitious voters following a sample checking of applications from new voters in the state. Further enquiry revealed that the mandatory verification by the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were also allegedly not done in those cases. The officers were also accused of providing user access to ERO Net, a centralised system that helps election officials with electoral roll management, to unauthorised users. Meanwhile, the West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) Officers' Association sought the state government's intervention, saying that the officers had no deliberate or mala fide intent behind any procedural lapse and the suspension appeared to be a harsh measure. The association requested the state government to take up the matter with the ECI and consider a review of the suspension orders. 'District level officers and field officers have a wide range of responsibilities and functions assigned to them by their appointing authorities, in addition to the electoral roll revision works and other election-related works which are time bound tasks. Therefore, there are occasions where certain functions are delegated to the subordinate staff in good faith,' the chief secretary said in his letter. The letter also stated that the government has undertaken a comprehensive review of the existing processes and procedures governing the conduct of the said exercise.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
NC, PDP flay Centre's stand on L-G's powers to nominate 5 MLAs to J&K Legislative Assembly
Several Jammu and Kashmir parties, including the ruling National Conference (NC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday (August 11, 2025) flayed the Centre's stand on powers of the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) to nominate five MLAs to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly without the elected government's 'aid and advice'. 'When Jammu and Kashmir has an elected government with an absolute majority, bypassing it to let the L-G handpick members is not governance, it is contempt for the people's mandate. It strikes at the heart of parliamentary democracy, ignores the constitutional spirit of 'aid and advice', and sets a dangerous precedent where unelected appointees can rewrite the people's verdict,' ruling NC leader and MLA Tanvir Sadiq said. Former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti also expressed her dismay over the Centre's stand. 'The Government of India's decision to nominate five MLAs in Jammu and Kashmir after holding elections is a blatant subversion of democratic principles. Nowhere else in the country does the Centre handpick legislators to override the public mandate. In India's only Muslim-majority region, long marred by conflict, this move feels less like governance and more like control,' Ms. Mufti said. Following the 'illegal bifurcation' of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, skewed delimitation and discriminatory seat reservations, this nomination was yet another body blow to the idea of democracy in Jammu and Kashmir. 'Representation must be earned through the people's vote not granted by a Central decree,' she added. Appeal to CM Ms. Mufti urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to put up a fight. 'This cannot be allowed to become the norm. Hope Mr. Abdullah's government rises to the occasion by challenging this undemocratic precedent because silence now would be complicity later,' Ms. Mufti said. CPI(M) leader and Kulgam MLA M.Y. Tarigami too questioned the Home Ministry's justification for empowering the L-G. 'It is a clear attempt to undermine the electoral democratic process in the region. This move is yet another step in eroding democratic norms. The L-G himself is an unelected nominee of the government and giving him the authority to nominate members to the Assembly runs contrary to the very spirit of representative democracy,' Mr. Tarigami said. He said earlier the Centre conducted delimitation exercise in Jammu and Kashmir that 'amounted to gerrymandering'. 'No established norms were followed during delimitation. Kashmir, despite having a larger population, was given only one additional seat, while the other region got six seats. This arbitrary process compromised the fairness of our electoral system,' he said. Mr. Tarigami said the provision for nominating members, 'especially by an unelected L-G, will 'further worsen the situation'. 'Nomination itself is contrary to the principle of an electoral democratic process, and in the present context, it openly indicates designs to weaken democratic representation in Jammu and Kashmir,' Mr. Tarigami said. According to amended Section 15 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the L-G has powers to nominate five members — two women, two Kashmiri Pandits and one Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir resident — to the Assembly. Most parties opposed the move and alleged that in case of a hung Assembly, the five MLAs may tilt the balance and the ruling party in the Centre will benefit from it. The L-G powers were contested before the High Court. The Hindu on August 10 reported that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had submitted its position and supported the L-G's powers to nominate five members to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly without the government's 'aid and advice'. The Ministry said the nominations were 'outside the realm of the business of the elected government of Jammu and Kashmir'.
Deccan Herald
4 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Mehbooba slams Centre over L-G's powers to nominate MLAs, calls it 'subversion of democracy'
GOIs decision to nominate 5 MLAs in J&K after holding elections is a blatant subversion of democratic principles. Nowhere else in the country does the Centre handpick legislators to override the public mandate. In India's only Muslim-majority region, long marred by conflict, this…
