Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata

Kolkata, Jan 20: Incidents of vandalism at hearing centres for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and road blockades protesting against the exercise continued across several districts of West Bengal on Tuesday, a day after similar disturbances were reported in multiple parts of the state.

Clashes were reported at hearing centres located in government offices, including sub-divisional officer (SDO) buildings, in districts such as South 24 Parganas, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas. The unrest persisted despite the Supreme Court on Monday issuing a series of directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Mamata Banerjee-led state government to ensure smooth conduct of the SIR process.

A three-judge bench of the apex court had directed that officials receiving documents and conducting hearings must certify receipt of documents and hearings held. The court also asked the state government to deploy adequate manpower at hearing centres.

On Tuesday, a hearing centre at the Karmatirtha government building in Sonakhali, Basanti block of South 24 Parganas district, around 78 km southeast of Kolkata, was vandalised during the hearing process. Furniture was damaged and officials were chased away by a mob. Locals alleged that poll officials failed to issue receipts for documents submitted by electors. Protesters later burnt tyres and blocked roads, allegedly with support from the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Similar road blockades were reported from Polba in Hooghly district, Dholahat in South 24 Parganas and Barasat near Kolkata. The Dholahat-Ramganga road remained blocked since Tuesday morning.

Last week, hearing centres in Murshidabad’s Farakka and North Dinajpur’s Chakulia were vandalised and police personnel on duty were allegedly assaulted. A Trinamool Congress MLA was reportedly involved in the Farakka incident.

On Monday, Trinamool Congress workers allegedly snatched and burnt Form 7 documents from BJP workers at Lalbag sub-division office in Murshidabad. Similar allegations were made by BJP leaders in Bongaon and Hooghly, where Form 7 papers were allegedly looted and destroyed in the presence of police. The Trinamool Congress has denied the allegations.

Former state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused both the Trinamool Congress and BJP of deliberately creating unrest. “The people of Bengal are caught between these two forces,” he said, alleging that Congress supporters were also assaulted in Murshidabad’s Jangipur.