Our Correspondent / New Delhi
The Supreme Court today refused to interfere in the BJP’s petition which alleged that violent Trinamool Congress workers in West Bengal were preventing its candidates from filing nominations papers for the state Panchayat elections slated for next month.
The top court, however, asked the state BJP to approach the state election Commission for any relief.
On Friday, a division bench, headed by Justice R K Agrawal and also comprising Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre had reserved its for Monday. It had reserved the order, after hearing in detail the arguments put forth by the petitioner, respondents.
Notably, the last date for filing of nominations for the upcoming elections is Monday.
West Bengal (WB) state BJP also, in its petition, sought an extension of Panchayat election date. The petition also pleaded for deployment of paramilitary forces.
Appearing for the BJP, Supreme Court advocate Aishwarya Bhati, argued before the two-judge bench that the BJP candidates and workers are allegedly being threatened, intimidated and subjected to physical violence to deter them from filing nominations for the polls.
Bhati had further mentioned that a BJP Dalit leader has been allegedly murdered by certain TMC workers and it seemed that there is a systematic physical violence unleashed by the ruling TMC party to prevent filing of nominations by the BJP candidates.