Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for holding judicial officials hostage during protests in Malda in West Bengal against deletion of voters as part of the Special Intensive Review (SIR), and demanded his resignation. She alleged that the BJP wants to disrupt the Assembly elections scheduled from April 23-29 and impose President’s rule.
“Amit Shah did the whole thing… the whole conspiracy… using the Election Commission of India [Election Commission of India]. He should resign. “I demand the resignation of the federal home minister,” she said at an election rally in Sagardighi in Murshidabad.
Banerjee said the Election Commission of India had failed to maintain law and order, and the hostage-taking was not its fault. “The administration is no longer in my hands. It is the fault of the IEC. They transferred the officers but failed to control the situation and protect the judicial staff. I condemn them,” she said.
She insisted that the hostage-taking was planned in advance. “they [BJP] They conspire to obstruct elections They reported one incident and alleged that law and order has deteriorated across the state. “If you allow one incident to happen, the entire country will be harmed.”
Banerjee warned people against taking the law into their own hands. “Central Bank of Iraq [Central Bureau of Investigation] And Nia [National Investigation Agency] I will arrest you before the elections. They have deleted the names of many voters. What remains will also disappear. The law is not in my hands. They stole all my powers. She said the Election Commission of India is running super president rule by taking away all my powers.
Banerjee said she was not aware of the Malda incident until late at night, as the administration did not inform her. She claimed that she got the information from a journalist around midnight. “The newly appointed chief secretary never contacted me. They do not share any information with me.”
The comments came as the Supreme Court decried the “complete failure of civil administration and police administration” in West Bengal. It took cognizance of the hostage-taking and described it as an “unfortunate” and “well-calculated and planned” attempt to intimidate the judiciary and challenge the authority of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has asked the Election Commission of India to hand over the hostage-taking probe to a federal agency. It has issued notices to the West Bengal chief secretary, police chief, home secretary and district officials to show why contempt action should not be taken against them.
