New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the West Bengal government to ensure protection to opposition leaders as a prerequisite for free and fair Assembly election scheduled early this year.

A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan told the petitioner's lawyer advocate Vineet Dhanda to seek other remedies permissible in law.

The bench, also comprising Justices Hemant Gupta and R. Subhash Reddy, said: "We are not inclined to entertain this petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution of India. The writ petition is dismissed. It shall, however, open for the petitioner to take such remedy as permissible in law. Pending application(s), if any, stands disposed of."

Dhanda, appearing for petitioner Puneet Kaur Dhanda, during the brief hearing in the matter, submitted before the bench that Rohingya voters from Telangana have registered themselves as voters in West Bengal and Hindu voters are not being allowed to vote in places where Muslims are in majority.

The petitioner, citing news reports, said Home Minister Amit Shah, in his recent visit to the state, said more than 300 BJP leaders had been killed in West Bengal after Trinamool Congress came into power and there is no movement in the investigations.

The plea alleged that continuous violation of fundamental rights, statutory rights and human rights in West Bengal has reached its zenith and government and its police machinery is involved in such violations. The plea has also sought status report into the killing of BJP leaders and activists.

"Free and fair elections is the essence of democracy and the present scenario of lawlessness in the state of West Bengal is the threat to the very essence of democracy and it is high time to control the lawlessness and political killings in the state of West Bengal," it said.