New Delhi, Feb. 5 -- West Bengal chief minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday became the first sitting CM to personally argue her own petition before the Supreme Court, urging it to "protect democracy" and "people's lives", as the court sought a response from the Election Commission of India (ECI) on withdrawing notices to millions of people over minor spelling variations and dialect-based discrepancies during the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in her state. A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi also asked ECI to act "carefully" while flagging discrepancies, fixed the next hearing for February 9, and directed the West Bengal government to propose a list of officers conversant with local dialects who could assist the poll panel in resolving errors without excluding genuine voters. The hearing marked a rare moment in the Supreme Court, with Banerjee rising to address the bench in person, alongside senior counsel Shyam Divan, who appeared for her in the matter. In the packed courtroom, the CM repeatedly stressed that she was not fighting for her party, but for voters who risk being struck off the rolls because of clerical and linguistic inconsistencies. "I am not fighting for my party. Please protect democracy.Please protect people's lives." Banerjee told the court.P5...