New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a sharp warning to the Election Commission of India (ECI) over alarming reports of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) being threatened and obstructed during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal and several other states. Taking a stern view of the complaints, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the Court would not hesitate to intervene if ground-level intimidation continued to undermine the revision process.
“Bring to our notice instances of lack of cooperation and threatening of BLOs. We will pass orders,” the bench remarked, signalling its readiness to issue binding directions should the situation escalate further. The observations came while hearing a petition filed by the Sanatani Sangsad, which has sought deployment of adequate Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal during the SIR process, alleging widespread obstruction and intimidation.
The Election Commission, however, maintained that it possesses full constitutional authority to enforce compliance and protect its field staff. The Commission told the Court that if the situation deteriorates further, it may be compelled to place local police personnel on deputation under the control of the ECI, a measure used only in exceptional circumstances. “If the situation aggravates, there would be no option but to take police under deputation,” the ECI submitted, acknowledging that SIR work is being “hindered” in certain states.
The Special Intensive Revision, conducted periodically, is a critical exercise to update and verify electoral rolls ahead of major elections. West Bengal, which has experienced recurring political clashes, has been under particular scrutiny during previous electoral roll revisions, with both ruling and opposition parties frequently accusing each other of manipulating voter lists. In recent months, local-level tensions around SIR activities—especially incidents of BLOs being denied access or threatened in politically sensitive pockets—have raised concerns about the integrity of the exercise.
The Supreme Court, noting the seriousness of such disruptions, cautioned the Commission that any laxity could lead to “anarchy” in the electoral system. The bench asserted that maintaining the sanctity of the voter list was foundational to democratic functioning and directed the ECI to ensure unhindered completion of SIR work across states.
The matter will be taken up again after the ECI files its detailed response.
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