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TMC, BJP workers clash over objections to inclusion of voters in West Bengal
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to get the names of genuine voters deleted
Fresh clashes broke out between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and arch-rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on Monday over the submission of Form 7, objecting to the inclusion of voters, as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound West Bengal. In Asansol, a fight broke out between the TMC and BJP workers outside the sub-divisional officer’s office. BJP workers had gone there to submit a bunch of Form 7.
The TMC alleged that the BJP was trying to get the names of a few thousand genuine voters deleted. The BJP claimed that there were still many illegal and fake voters in the draft roll.
“[Chief minister] Mamata [Banerjee] has unleashed her party workers so that BJP workers can’t submit Form 7 to raise objections against fake voters. Our workers are being attacked. Police are detaining BJP workers. Documents are being torn. This is an attack on democracy,” said Agnimitra Paul, BJP legislator from Asansol.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) data showed the BJP has submitted the highest number of Form 7 (591) and the TMC 13.
Violence was also reported from Lalbagh in Murshidabad when BJP workers went to submit Form 7 seeking the deletion of names of “fake voters”.
Videos surfaced on social media purportedly showing some people damaging an SUV with stones. Locals claimed that it was the vehicle of a local BJP leader who went with some party workers to submit Form 7.
In Durgapur, BJP workers blocked the National Highway. They alleged that TMC workers stopped them from submitting Form 7 and attacked them.
Clashes also broke out in Jamuria and Hooghly. In Kalyani, TMC workers staged a protest against BJP’s legislator Ambika Roy. Such violence was earlier reported from Bankura, Malda, and Hooghly districts.
Last week, Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of threatening government officers associated with the SIR process to get names of genuine voters deleted and then enrol voters from BJP-ruled states.
The BJP had slammed a section of state government officials for not accepting Form 7. BJP leader Amit Malviya cited instances from Malda, Khatra, Jorasanko, Chandernagore, Bhatpara, and Kumargram, where officials allegedly refused to accept Form 7 from BJP workers.
