Kapil Sibal criticises govt over deaths of 33 BLOs during SIR exercise

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal took a swipe at the government on Monday over the death of booth-level officers in various parts of the country engaged in the SIR exercise, asking whether the presence of one alleged "infiltrator" was not okay, but the death of BLOs was okay.

Sibal's remarks came a day after a Booth Level Officer (BLO) was found dead in West Bengal's Bankura district, triggering allegations that work-related pressure linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls may have played a role.

"Yet another suicide by a Bengal BLO. Total pan-India: 33. If one alleged 'ghuspetia (infiltrator)', that's not OK, if 33 BLOs die, is that Ok?" Sibal said in a post on X.

 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said last month that the government would throw out infiltrators from the country and alleged that some political parties are opposing the SIR exercise as they want the names of infiltrators to remain on the electoral rolls.

The latest death of a BLO occurred in the Ranibandh block of West Bengal, where the body of Haradhan Mandal was recovered from a school premises on Sunday morning. The police said they found a suicide note.

"Mandal was a schoolteacher and served as the BLO of Booth No. 206 under the Rajakata area of Ranibandh block," a police officer said.

According to the officer, a note bearing the deceased's signature was recovered from the spot, in which he reportedly referred to being unable to cope with work pressure as a BLO.

The BLOs play a major role in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

The EC conducted SIR in Bihar in the first phase, and the exercise is underway in 12 states and Union territories in the second phase.