As the contest heats up in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections, the BJP and the TMC exchanged blame and barbs on Thursday after a crowd of people staged a sit-in in front of judicial officials in Malda district.
On Wednesday, a mob in Malda surrounded a group of seven judicial employees, including three women, during an SIR exercise in the area around 4 pm. According to police, the workers were rescued around midnight.
According to a report by PTI, police officials stated that batons should be used to disperse the crowd. The crowd also claimed that officials were removing names of eligible voters during the process. In a similar protest, National Highway 12 between Kolkata and Siliguri was also blocked.
BJP blames TMC for inciting mobs
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Trinamool Congress of inciting the mob, which led to the killing of judicial officers.
“Fearing of losing the elections after deleting the names of fake voters, the TMC mobilized jihadist elements in the region and organized this unconstitutional and illegal agitation, keeping judicial officials and judges, including women, confined in extreme heat and humidity for hours,” BJP state spokesperson Dibit Sarkar was quoted as saying.
Responding to questions regarding discrepancies in electoral rolls, Sarkar added that it was due to the state government not providing sufficient number of officials to exercise SIR.
“They (some police and government officials) should understand that when the EC takes all necessary steps to ensure that no fake voter is able to cast their votes, the age-old practice should not continue anymore,” Sarkar said.
The Military Council rejects the accusations and holds the Election Commission responsible for the lack of oversight
On the other hand, the Trinamool Congress rejected the BJP’s accusations and instead blamed the Election Commission of India for failing to ensure the safety of its officers.
Addressing the crowd, TMC Secretary General Kunal Ghosh said the party would not support any move to take the law into their hands.
“The EC is now monitoring everything – the administration and the police. They must explain why such a thing happened. Why were judicial officials insulted by the affected villagers for hours on end?” Ghosh asked.
The TMC also pointed out the issue of deletion of thousands of SIR voters’ names in the electoral rolls, especially in Malda district, which was at the top of the list.
West Bengal is scheduled to go to the polls in two-phase elections on April 23-29. The results of the Assembly elections will be counted on May 4.
(With inputs from PTI)
