CPI(M) petitions President Murmu on Census rules after Calcutta High Court setback

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has petitioned President Droupadi Murmu, urging administrative intervention against recent amendments to the Census Rules that expand the personnel eligible to conduct the nationwide decennial count.

The appeal, submitted by CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby, comes as the party faces pressure on multiple fronts. On the same day, the Calcutta High Court dismissed a legal challenge brought by the party's local unit against civic enforcement action in Kolkata, ruling firmly that political organisations cannot claim judicial protection for temporary structures set up without official clearance.

Why CPI(M) wants the Census rules withdrawn

In his letter to the President, Baby raised objections to provisions that broaden the operational pool of census enumerators to include staff from public sector undertakings, statutory bodies, banks, private educational institutions, and registered societies. The updated framework also authorises state governments and Union Territory administrations to appoint individuals they deem suitable to assist in the massive administrative undertaking.

Baby argued that broadening enumerator selection grants broad discretion to regional authorities, claiming it could result in partisan appointments. He also expressed misgivings over baseline demographic and verification fields in the questionnaire, such as parentage, bank account information, identification documents, and contact details, cautioning against public distrust.

The administrative amendments are designed to ensure adequate workforce deployment for the nationwide census, drawing from established institutional staff across sectors to conduct the world's most extensive demographic survey smoothly.

Calcutta High Court rejects Jadavpur bookstall plea

Meanwhile in Kolkata, the Calcutta High Court refused to shield the party from civic regulation after municipal and police authorities moved to clear an unauthorised temporary stall near Jadavpur Coffee House during Durga Puja.

Justice Partha Pratim Roy ruled that the CPI(M) could not seek court intervention to prevent civic enforcement when it failed to establish that mandatory permissions had been secured. The party’s Jadavpur 1 Area Committee had filed a petition after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation arrived with police personnel and earthmoving machinery on 17 October to clear the 16-foot-by-20-foot installation.

While the CPI(M) stated it had run a festive bookstall at the location for 49 years, had applied for permission on 19 September, and had deposited Rs 3,208 in civic fees, the court noted that the payment receipt was explicitly subject to police clearance, which had never been granted.

Citing earlier division bench precedent, Justice Roy reiterated that clear administrative sanction is an absolute prerequisite before any entity can seek judicial protection against municipal clearing drives, affirming that civic regulations apply equally to political bodies.