PFI hails High Court order revoking ban in Jharkhand

coastaldigest.com news network

August 27, 2018

Newsroom, Aug 27: Popular Front of India chairman E Abubacker has welcomed the Jharkhand High Court order which revoked the state government’s decision of banning the activities of the organization in the state.

He stated that the observations made by the High Court expose communal and fascist agenda of BJP government in Jharkhand which imposed ban on the organization.

“The court brought to light the undemocratic motives of state government by noting that it didn't follow the procedures to ban an organization u/s 16 of the CLA Act. The court also observed that the ban notice of the government violated the principles of natural justice and Article 19 of Constitution of India. The court also pointed out that the government failed to produce any evidence material to justify its decision,” stated a release issued by the PFI chief.

He further said, the Jharkhand High Court judgment is a major setback to the authoritarian measures the state government has adopted against people's movements and voices of dissent. The order by the bench led by Rongon Mukhopadhyay upholds the spirit of the constitution and will undoubtedly serve as warning against the attempts to undermine democratic values and freedom of association in the country.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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