Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of conspiring to get the state assembly elections cancelled and get President’s rule imposed after seven juducial officers were taken hostage in Malda by the villagers. She slammed the Election Commission for failing to control the law and order in the state.Speaking at a poll rally in Sagardighi, she said, “BJP‘s game plan is to get assembly polls cancelled in Bengal, impose President’s rule.” “Election Commission failed to control law and order in Bengal,” she added.On Wednesday, seven judicial officers, including three women, were taken hostage by villagers in Malda district. The confrontation was sparked by widespread deletions from electoral rolls as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The incident unfolded amid a larger wave of protests that brought much of Malda to a standstill, with demonstrators blocking national and state highways as well as key rural roads across at least five assembly segments.The situation followed an indefinite protest by supporters of the Trinamool Congress near the chief electoral officer’s office in Kolkata, where they alleged significant irregularities in the filing of Form 6 applications and called for strict action against those responsible.Union minister Sukanta Majumdar sammed the unrest, blaming Mamata, saying her remarks had contributed to the tense and volatile conditions on the ground. “What happened is something that scares everyone. 7 judicial magistrates had gone there. They were not only stopped there but their vehicles were also vandalised. When SP was rescuing them from there, women judicial magistrates’ vehicles were vandalised. Roads were blocked to see that no vehicle passes through. During the rule of Left Front, Anita Dewan – a woman official, was dragged out of her vehicle and beaten to death. This was a similar plan. Mamata Banerjee’s continuous instigating statements are responsible for this,” said Majumdar.
