Political tempers flared in Hooghly, West Bengal, as allegations surfaced that TMC workers tore Form-7 applications at the Sub-Divisional Officer’s office during voter list revisions. The incident, unfolding Monday, has intensified the BJP-TMC slugfest over alleged manipulations in the electoral rolls.
A TMC contingent, spearheaded by MLA Asit Mazumdar, entered the SDO premises for a ‘protest’ against what they called BJP’s bogus deletion drives. But reports indicate the tables turned when TMC members allegedly destroyed forms seeking removal of ineligible voters—dead, shifted, or duplicates.
Mazumdar dismissed direct involvement but defended the action as resistance to ‘undemocratic’ BJP tactics. He highlighted Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar’s revelation of mass deletions in Hooghly, probing if officials were acting as BJP proxies.
Pandemonium gripped the office as clashes broke out between party workers. Frustrated voters accused police of turning a blind eye, allowing the disorder to fester. BJP district head Suresh Saha branded the episode a ‘premeditated TMC conspiracy’ with complicit bureaucrats to safeguard fraudulent entries for fake votes.
This flare-up amid the SIR process spotlights broader concerns: Are Bengal’s voter lists bloated with ghosts? Both sides’ claims warrant scrutiny, but unchecked violence risks eroding faith in electoral safeguards. Authorities must probe thoroughly to prevent recurrence.