Today, on October 6th, the Supreme Court asserted that the removal of an elected representative, especially a woman from a rural area, should not be taken lightly. The court set aside the dismissal of Manish Ravindra Panpatil, a sarpanch in Maharashtra, pointing to societal resistance against female leadership and emphasizing the need for respect for women in public office.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has emphasized that the removal of elected public representatives, particularly women from rural areas, should not be taken lightly. In a significant ruling, the court set aside the order that had removed Manish Ravindra Panpatil, a sarpanch in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra.
Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan described the case as emblematic of a larger issue, where some villagers struggled to accept a woman in a position of authority. The court noted that this reflects a troubling reality in a nation striving for gender parity and women’s empowerment in public office. Such instances at the grassroots level can overshadow progress made in promoting female representation in elected bodies.
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The court highlighted the considerable effort women undertake to achieve public office and stressed the importance of not treating their removal lightly. In Panpatil’s case, she was accused of residing in a house built on government land; however, she denied these allegations, asserting that she lived separately with her husband and children. Despite the lack of a thorough investigation into these claims, government authorities issued summary orders that led to her disqualification.
The bench criticized the mechanical nature of these decisions, which failed to verify the villagers’ claims adequately. They pointed out that no objections had been raised regarding encroachment when Panpatil filed her nomination papers. The court expressed concern over the systemic discrimination that women in public office face and the casual approach of authorities in removing them without due diligence.
Ultimately, the Supreme Court found no credible evidence to support the allegations against Panpatil and reinstated her as sarpanch, emphasizing the need for an environment that supports women’s leadership in local governance.