NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain the plea of BJP seeking its direction to deploy central paramilitary forces in West Bengal for free and fair municipal polls in Kolkata and asked the party to approach the Calcutta high court.
A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai said the issue raised in the petition could be better decided by the high court as it would be aware about the ground situation prevailing in the state and allow the party to withdraw the petition to approach the HC.
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, however, pointed out that the SC had agreed to intervene in Tripura civic polls and passed directions to ensure free and fair polls. Singh pleaded that a similar order should be passed in BJP’s plea also as party candidates are receiving threats and are being pressured to withdraw their candidature. He said not a single FIR had been lodged on the complaints filed by its candidates.
The bench, however, said the SC should not be the first forum to decide these issues otherwise it would end up deciding cases arising out of panchayat and civic polls and it would be unending exercise.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/paramilitary-forces-for-kolkata-civic-polls-sc-junks-bjp-plea/articleshow/88265557.cms
