Calcutta High Court on Thursday came down heavily on the Election Commission of India’s notification on appointing professors of colleges and universities as polling officers and reprimanded the poll panel for frequent shifting of goalposts.
“it had also kept provision in appointing judges as being polling officers then the judges should join the duty”.
Hearing a petition from a section of college and university professors, who moved the court challenging the notification, Calcutta High Court Justice Krishana Rao fumed over the commission’s frequent changing of positions.
The court’s observation came after a section of professors moved a petition arguing that if they joined poll duty, studies in colleges and universities would come to a standstill.
Justice Rao, told the Commission’s counsel: “You are in the habit of shifting goalposts frequently. According to your notification, you have also kept a provision for appointing judges for poll duty. Appoint us, we will go for poll duty.”
Justice Rao asked the Commission’s counsel to file a report on Friday “stating reasons on what had prompted you to appoint professors for poll duty.”