Kolkata:  Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the West Bengal government petition challenging the Kolkata High Court’s direction to deploy central forces in the state panchayat election. 

“Conducting election is not a licence for violence,” stated Supreme Court while hearing. 

The Court said that the direction of the Calcutta High Court would help the State Election Commission in fulfilling its responsibility.

Kolkata High Court, last week, directed the State Election Commission to send a request to the Center government for the deployment of forces within 48 hours. But the EC and the state government did not comply with the HC order and challenged it in the apex court. 

Opposition leaders, including BJP leader Shubhendu Adhikari and Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, had petitioned the court for the deployment of central forces to ensure peaceful elections. He claimed that large-scale violence had taken place during the municipal elections in the state in 2022 and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation elections in 2021.

The Panchayat election is scheduled to take place on July 8. 

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