The Election Commission, which met Bengal chief secretary Nandini Chakravorty on Friday, set the state a fresh deadline to carry out its orders, including those for filing FIRs against officials alleged to have erred during the SIR exercise. “The chief secretary has been given time for compliance with EC orders till 5.30pm on February 17,” a commission official told The Telegraph. The commission cited 2023 guidelines, which say that “disciplinary authorities shall mandatorily consult the Election Commission before closing or finalising any matter arising out of disciplinary proceedings initiated on the recommendation of the (Election) Commission”. Baby to chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar that says the SIR is “turning into a war against the people” and seeks its abandonment. In view of the above, we once again urge the Election Commission of India to abandon this exercise which is turning into a war against the people.”

Source: The Telegraph February 15, 2026 02:02 UTC