KOLKATA: The BJP on Thursday accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of instigating a mob that gheraoed seven judicial officers for several hours in Malda district during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, following the deletion of names from the voters list.Security forces intervened, using batons to disperse the crowd and rescue the judicial officers—including three women—late on Wednesday night. Protesters, alleging large-scale removal of voter names during the SIR process, also blocked National Highway 12 (Kolkata–Siliguri) on Wednesday.
The judicial officers were stationed at the Kaliachak 2 Block Development Office when the protesters surrounded the building around 4 pm. A substantial security contingent managed to rescue them after midnight.“Afraid of losing the elections following the deletion of names of bogus voters, the TMC has mobilised jihadi elements in the district and orchestrated this unconstitutional, illegal agitation, keeping judicial officers, magistrates, including women confined in the extreme heat, humid conditions for hours,” BJP state spokesperson Debajit Sarkar said.Stating any discrepancy in the electoral roll and the continued uncertainty over inclusion of names in supplementary list was due to the “deliberate slow uploading of data as the state did not employ adequate number of officials,” he alleged that a section of the administration still sides with the corrupt, undemocratic regime, but they should now stop their partisan activities.“They (some police and government officials) must understand that when the EC has taken every step to ensure not a single bogus elector can cast votes, the old practice should not click any more,” Sarkar added.TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “The EC is now monitoring everything – the administration and police. They must explain why such a thing occurred. Why were judicial officials gheraoed by aggrieved villagers for so many hours? We never support any move to take the law into one’s hands.Ghosh said the TMC had repeatedly raised concerns over the deletion of lakhs of voter names during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, including in Malda, which tops the list. The party had drawn the Election Commission’s attention to the issue, but the poll panel reportedly did not act. He added that the Kaliachak incident reflected the anger and frustration of the people, though the TMC does not support such methods of protest.The judicial officials were eventually brought out of the Block Development Office, even as protesters attempted to block their vehicles by placing bamboo poles on the road and tried to vandalise the cars. Police used batons to disperse the crowd during the rescue operation.Under Supreme Court directions, the judicial officers are examining cases of voters whose names were marked “under adjudication” in the electoral rolls published on February 28, to determine whether they should be retained or deleted.Officials said the protesters had initially requested a meeting with the judicial officers. When entry was denied, they staged a demonstration and gheraoed the premises.Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with votes scheduled to be counted on May 4.(With agency inputs)
