The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Union Home Ministry to provide two additional companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for security of polling stations during Tripura municipal elections. The opposition Trinamool Congress (TMC) and CPI(M) in the state told a bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and Vikram Nath that its candidates and supporters were allegedly not allowed to cast their votes ever since the voting began in the morning. Has been. Voting takes place and there is serious violation of law and order.
“In these circumstances, we direct the Union Home Ministry to make available additional two companies of any CAPFs at the earliest, keeping in view the fact that the polling has already started and the polling stations are secured,” the bench said. To do so so that voting can take place without any disturbance or disorder. The top court was hearing a petition by the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M)’s intervention application seeking a direction to the Tripura government and other officials to ensure free and fair elections in the civic body elections.
The bench also directed the DGP and Tripura Home Secretary to immediately review the security arrangements during municipal elections and request the Home Ministry for additional CAPFs, if required. The Director General of Police and the Secretary in the Home Department of the State of Tripura shall immediately review whether there is any additional need for further deployment over the above instructions and if so, intimate the same to the Home Department. of the government India for necessary action. The bench said that any such request would be duly considered in view of the statement made by the Solicitor General.
The bench said that during the hearing, it has been informed that as a result of redeployment of two BSF companies on Wednesday night, besides the force, 128 BSF personnel are also deployed which have been made available. We direct the State Election Commission, Director General of Police and Tripura State Home Affairs Secretary to ensure that adequate number of CAPF personnel are deployed at each polling station keeping in view the sensitivity of the polling station. Requiring the required number of personnel to guard the polling stations to ensure free and fair elections, the bench directed that the polling officers at each polling station shall take the help of the CAPF personnel in any eventuality. It noted that senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the TMC party, submitted that CCTV cameras are absent at polling stations and when a petition was listed before the High Court yesterday, objections were raised in the High Court on behalf of the State Government. Was. Entertaining proceedings on the ground that the whole matter is sub-judice (forfeit) of this Court.
The bench observed that when the earlier proceedings were taken up by this Court, it had clarified during the submission of counsel that since no issue regarding CCTV cameras is being raised in the present proceedings, the High Court has to proceed. will be free. Be that as it may, in view of the emerging situation, we also order and direct that in the absence of installation of CCTV cameras, both electronic and print media should have uninterrupted access for complete reporting and coverage of the election process, the Bench said. he said. It said that directions to implement this part of the order would be issued on the ground by the Director General of Police, the State Election Commission and the State Home Secretary to all polling officers and other concerned personnel.
It said necessary arrangements would be made to deploy adequate number of CAPF personnel to ensure the security of ballot papers and facilitate seamless counting of votes at the time of counting of votes to be held on November 28 and the matter would be posted for further hearing. Will be done. During the post-lunch session on December 2, the TMC party’s counsel said that despite the order being passed in the morning, no additional force has been deployed.
The bench said it has passed the order at 12.30 pm and mobilization of troops on the ground takes time and furthermore Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has assured that the orders will be followed. Mehta, who was present in the court for other matters, said he would immediately speak to the Union Home Secretary and ensure that the directions are followed.
The bench sought a compliance report which would be jointly filed by the DGP and the state home secretary as per the earlier directions. On November 23, the top court had dismissed the TMC’s plea to postpone the municipal elections in Tripura, saying it was an extreme recourse and last resort to do so in a democracy and asked the state police to ensure free and fair elections. Several instructions have been passed for ,
On November 11, the top court had directed the state to ensure that no political party, including the TMC, is prevented from campaigning in a peaceful and orderly manner for the local body elections. It had issued notice to the state government on a petition by the TMC party and its Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, seeking protection to its workers and representatives alleging large-scale violence on party workers during the upcoming local body elections. .
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