Protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls escalated across north Bengal on Thursday, with violence reported in Malda and demonstrations spreading to Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar over alleged exclusion of voters from the rolls.
Tension flared in Old Malda and English Bazar as protesters blocked National Highway 12, demanding inclusion of eligible voters. Clashes broke out at several locations, with police vehicles vandalised and a driver sustaining a head injury. He was taken to Malda Medical College and Hospital for treatment.
Police fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd before restoring order. A senior district police official said 18 people have been arrested and four cases registered. “The situation is now completely under control. Two companies of central forces have been deployed,” the official said.
The unrest follows a major incident in Sujapur a day earlier, where seven judicial officers engaged in SIR duties were held under siege for nearly nine hours. Three of them were women.
Taking note of the incident, the Supreme Court of India sought explanations from the State Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Malda District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police. The court also ordered a probe by either the National Investigation Agency or the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Blockades spread across north Bengal
The protests spread to other districts, disrupting traffic and normal life. In Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri, demonstrators blocked National Highway 27, leading to long snarls with goods vehicles stranded for hours.
In Cooch Behar, residents blocked the Cooch Behar–Mathabhanga State Highway at Madrasa More under Pachagarh Gram Panchayat for nearly three hours, with protesters burning tyres during the agitation.
In contrast, Mothabari, an epicentre of Wednesday’s unrest, remained tense but quiet, with shops shut and the BDO office closed. Residents were turned away from official work.
Among those arrested is Mohammad Shahjahan Ali Qadri, an Indian Secular Front (ISF) candidate from Mothabari. The party alleged that he and his two sons were detained in a pre-dawn raid, claiming police forcibly entered his residence.
The ISF termed the arrests illegal and alleged a conspiracy to prevent Qadri from filing his nomination papers, urging the Election Commission of India to ensure an unhindered nomination process.
With protests intensifying and legal scrutiny mounting, the SIR exercise has triggered widespread unrest across north Bengal, raising concerns over law and order ahead of the Assembly elections.
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