4 months ago
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Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar connected Tuesday (February 24, 2026) alleged that a high-level gathering convened to instrumentality guardant the SIR process successful West Bengal, arsenic mandated by the Supreme Court, was attended by unauthorised persons, including erstwhile Chief Secretary Manoj Pant.
The BJP person demanded a probe into the contented and the apprehension of Mr. Pant. Mr. Majumdar accused the State’s TMC Government of trying to power the judiciary during the gathering held connected February 21.
Addressing a property league astatine Barasat successful North 24 Parganas district, helium claimed that the gathering with the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court was specifically ordered by the apex tribunal to determine the modalities for implementing the SIR process, and that lone designated officials were permitted to attend.
Citing a Supreme Court order, helium said it had directed the Chief Electoral Officer, on with 1 authorised elder serviceman of the Election Commission, the Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police, and successful the beingness of the Advocate General and the Additional Solicitor General, to clasp a gathering with the High Court’s Chief Justice connected February 21 to sermon the mode guardant connected SIR.
"The bid intelligibly mentions who was authorised to be the gathering to instrumentality guardant the SIR process. Despite that, I person received accusation that Manoj Pant was present. In what capableness did helium attend? He is nary longer the main secretary," Mr. Majumdar said.
Describing Pant's beingness arsenic "completely illegal", the Union curate accused the State Government of violating the Supreme Court's directive and attempting to power proceedings related to the SIR process.
He said that the apex tribunal should bid a probe into the alleged breach and dainty the information of immoderate unauthorised idiosyncratic arsenic a transgression offence."If anyone extracurricular the database specified by the Supreme Court attended the meeting, it is simply a nonstop usurpation of the court's order. An FIR should beryllium filed against Manoj Pant, and helium should beryllium arrested," Mr. Majumdar said.
Responding to the allegation, elder State Minister Shashi Panja said the BJP was known for making unsubstantiated claims. She said the BJP should contiguous grounds earlier making specified allegations and added that the radical of Bengal would cull specified politics.
On February 20, the Supreme Court issued an “extraordinary” absorption to deploy serving and erstwhile territory judges to assistance the canvass sheet successful the controversy-ridden SIR process successful the State.
The apex tribunal ordered deputation of judicial officers for the adjudication of claims and objections of persons placed nether the logical discrepancy lists and facing removal of their names from the electoral rolls.
