TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ A forum of retired judges, senior functionaries of civil and police services, Ambassadors and senior armed forces officers has submitted a petition to President Ram Nath Kovind over the recent political violence in West Bengal in the aftermath of the declaration of Assembly election results on May 2. The petition has been signed by 146 retired persons, including 17 judges, 63 bureaucrats, 10 Ambassadors and 56 armed forces officers.
Referring to media reports, the forum said that they show unabated attacks after the declaration of results for the Assembly elections in West Bengal and “deficient and inappropriate response of the local administration and police”.
“These unfortunate developments, if unchecked, could establish a trend which will undermine and ultimately destroy the deep-rooted democratic traditions of India,” read the petition, adding that the state government, as well as the institutions set up by the Constitution, has the “solemn constitutional duty to protect the life and liberty of the citizens which this political violence gravely undermines”.
