BJP using SIR to cut electorate in opposition-ruled states, claims Yogendra Yadav
Kolkata (PTI): Eminent psephologist and activist Yogendra Yadav on Sunday reiterated that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and West Bengal was just a test before a larger rollout.
Addressing a meeting at the Bharat Sabha Hall here, Yadav claimed that the BJP would leave no stone unturned to win the 2026 Bengal polls and was using the SIR process as a tool to reduce the number of electors.
"From the outset, I have said SIR is targeted at Bengal. As Bihar elections were only a few months away, the EC used the state as the testing ground to implement SIR. Now the BJP wants to go the whole hog in Bengal," he said in Hindi.
Yadav alleged that after failing to make a dent in opposition-ruled states like West Bengal in the past, the BJP was now hell-bent on using SIR as a last resort to reduce the electorate in such states.
He described the SIR exercise in Bengal as "the highest disenfranchisement ever" undertaken in the country.
"SIR is a votebandi exercise aimed at undermining and disenfranchising India’s adult voters who had cast their ballots in previous elections by benchmarking the 2002 year as a timeline for enrolling as legitimate voters," he said.
Referring to the claim by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari that one crore voters may be omitted after the SIR, Yadav said, "Even if not the world, West Bengal will witness the largest ever disenfranchisement in India."
Questioning the criteria behind selecting states for SIR, Yadav said if the EC was concerned about infiltrators settling in the country after crossing the border, “why did they leave out Assam as the first state? Because Assam is not ruled by an opposition government?”
On October 27, the EC announced SIR in West Bengal and eight other states and three Union Territories, while the exercise had already been completed in Bihar.
Yadav reiterated that the current SIR was not a rerun of the 2002 exercise, asserting that in that year, people neither had to fill forms nor provide documents to booth-level officers as they are being asked to do now.
On Saturday, Yadav claimed that it is not for the BJP to define as to who is an infiltrator and who is a refugee.
"It is for the law and the courts to decide who is an infiltrator and who is a refugee," he said.
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BCI urges CJI to take action against Andhra HC judge for sending young lawyer to 24-hour custody
New Delhi (PTI): The Bar Council of India on Wednesday sought the urgent intervention of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant following a "deeply disturbing" incident where a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court reportedly sent a young advocate to
24-hour judicial custody over a procedural lapse.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairperson and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, in a formal representation, termed the conduct of Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao "grossly inappropriate" and "damaging to the confidence of the Bar".
“I most respectfully request your Lordship to kindly take immediate institutional cognizance of the matter and call for the video recording of the proceedings, the order passed, and the surrounding circumstances.
“I further request that appropriate administrative action may kindly be considered, including withdrawal of judicial work from the learned Judge pending review, his immediate transfer to some far off High Court, and his nomination for appropriate judicial training/orientation on court management, judicial temperament, Bar-Bench relations, and proportional exercise of contempt/judicial authority,” Mishra wrote.
This representation is made to preserve the “dignity, moral authority and public confidence of the judiciary”, he said, adding, “Judges command the highest respect not by fear, but by fairness, patience, restraint and constitutional humility”.
The communication urged the CJI to intervene at the earliest to ensure that the faith of Bar, particularly young advocates, in the protective and corrective role of the judiciary is restored.
The controversy stems from proceedings on May 5.
According to the BCI, a video circulating online shows Justice Rao rebuking a young advocate who was unable to produce a specific order copy during a hearing.
The letter said that despite the advocate "repeatedly seeking pardon and mercy" and claiming he was in physical pain, the judge remained "unmoved".
The judge allegedly told the lawyer, "now you will learn," and mocked his experience before directing the Registrar and police personnel to take him into custody for 24 hours.
The BCI chairperson said that the judge’s actions lacked proportionality and fairness.
"The dignity of the court is not enhanced when a lawyer is made to beg for grace in open court and is still sent to custody for a procedural lapse," the letter said.
"A young lawyer... is an officer of the Court, still learning, still growing, and entitled to correction without humiliation," it added.
The bar body said that such actions create a "chilling effect" on the legal fraternity, particularly among junior members, and undermine the mutual respect required between the Bench and the Bar.
