Tensions ran high in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Wednesday as opposition to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls spilled onto the streets, leading to vandalism, arrests and the suspension of official proceedings at Farakka. The flashpoint emerged outside the Farakka block development office (BDO), where at least 100 booth-level officers (BLOs) gathered to protest after submitting their resignations earlier in the day.
BLO Resignations Trigger Protest
The BDO premises were also functioning as a hearing centre for objections and claims related to the ongoing SIR process, adding to the charged atmosphere.
What began as a demonstration by the BLOs soon escalated when a group of Trinamool Congress supporters entered the building. Furniture was damaged and official documents were reportedly strewn across the office as anger over the voter list revision boiled over.
Hearing Centre Vandalised, Proceedings Suspended
The situation deteriorated further when local Trinamool Congress MLA Manirul Islam and other party leaders joined the crowd. With tempers flaring and order breaking down, officials were forced to suspend the SIR hearing, as per a report on NDTV. Later, the unrest intensified, with the hearing camp itself being vandalised, prompting intervention by the administration.
The Election Commission of India took note of the developments. Acting on a complaint filed by the block development officer, police made two arrests. The Chief Election Officer of West Bengal also directed the Murshidabad District Magistrate to register a formal FIR in connection with the incident.
Allegations of Bias in SIR Process
Addressing reporters amid the protests, MLA Manirul Islam launched a sharp attack on the voter roll revision exercise, alleging that it unfairly targeted specific communities.
The Election Commission, however, has defended the revision exercise, citing significant anomalies in the electoral database. According to official figures, 91.46 lakh cases of what it terms “logical discrepancy” have been identified through progeny mapping. These are in addition to 58.20 lakh “excluded voters” and around 30 lakh “unmapped” voters.
“Logical discrepancy” cases refer to voter records where unusual or inconsistent family-tree data has been detected. “Unmapped” voters are those who have been unable to establish a connection with the 2002 electoral rolls through either self-mapping or family-tree mapping.
As political tensions rise over the SIR process, Wednesday’s violence in Murshidabad has intensified scrutiny of both the exercise and the manner in which it is being implemented on the ground.
