The Supreme Court on Tuesday took serious note of reports that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are being threatened and that the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being obstructed in West Bengal and several other states.
Expressing concern over the “lack of cooperation” from some state administrations, the Court directed the ECI to immediately bring to its notice any instance where BLOs face intimidation or where officials encounter hurdles in carrying out the SIR exercise. “If such matters are brought before us, we will pass appropriate orders,” the Bench observed.
The Court cautioned that failure to address the situation could “cause anarchy”, and urged the ECI to take firm steps to ensure the smooth conduct of the revision process.
During the hearing, the ECI informed the Court that continued obstruction could compel it to take “police personnel on deputation” to ensure the safety of officials and the smooth conduct of the revision process. The Commission stressed that it possesses all constitutional powers necessary to address threats to BLOs and other staff engaged in the SIR exercise.