TMC MLA Accused in Farakka ERO Office Vandalism; 200 BLOs Resign
SIR hearing disrupted as violence erupts in Murshidabad; protests spread to Beldanga and Rejinagar, prompting deployment of RAF and armed police.
Tension gripped parts of Murshidabad district on Wednesday after an irate mob, allegedly led by ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA from Farakka, Monirul Islam, vandalised the Farakka Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) office, forcing the abrupt suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing of the voter list.
The situation escalated when around 200 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from the Farakka Assembly constituency (No. 55) submitted mass resignations in protest, citing stress, fatigue and what they termed as discrepancies and excessive instructions issued by the Election Commission. Two BLOs, Mir Nazir Ali and Syed Taj Islam, said they were “overstressed due to continuous day-and-night orders” related to SIR duties.
According to sources, violence broke out at the Farakka ERO office on Wednesday afternoon when protesters turned aggressive, ransacked the premises and vandalised chairs and tables. Slogans were raised against the Election Commission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The mob allegedly refused to cooperate with the SIR hearing process.
Although Monirul Islam was seen at the protest site, he denied Trinamool Congress involvement in the vandalism, claiming it was a spontaneous outburst by distressed residents. He alleged bias in the SIR process, stating that document verification was being selectively demanded from members of the Muslim community. “There are no TMC flags here. I am protesting against the vindictive attitude of the Election Commission,” he said, adding that he was prepared to face police action.
Meanwhile, tensions spread to other parts of the district. TMC MLAs Md Hasanuzzaman (Beldanga) and Rabiul Alam Chowdhury (Rejinagar) led protests outside the Beldanga Block Development Officer (BDO) office. Their supporters blocked National Highway 12, bringing traffic to a standstill and severely disrupting movement between north Bengal and Kolkata.
RAF and armed police were deployed in Farakka and Beldanga to prevent further escalation. Opposition parties questioned how such large-scale vandalism could occur in the presence of police, accusing law enforcement of acting as mute spectators during the unrest.
Investigations are ongoing, and the situation remains tense across the affected areas.