Mamata blames EC for 'failing to protect' judicial officers engaged in SIR

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday blamed the Election Commission for "failing to protect" judicial officers engaged in the SIR exercise in West Bengal's Malda district.

Seven judicial officers engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) were rescued by security forces after protesters gheraoed them for several hours on Wednesday over the deletion of names from the electoral rolls.

"I condemn the Election Commission for failing to protect the judicial officers," Banerjee said, addressing an election rally here in Murshidabad district.

Claiming that the EC posted its own officers in civil and police administration after announcement of assembly polls in the state, Banerjee accused the poll body of having "totally failed to control law and order".

 

Several officers, including the state's chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police (DGP), were replaced in West Bengal soon after the assembly polls were announced by the Election Commission.

"All my powers have been taken away, I have never seen such an Election Commission," the chief minister said.

Banerjee claimed that the BJP's game plan is to get the assembly polls cancelled in Bengal and to get President's Rule imposed.

"There are communal people in the BJP, and some communal people have also entered your ranks," Banerjee said, addressing the rally.

She claimed that such people flew in from Hyderabad with money from the BJP and are trying to divide the Muslim votes in the state.