Mamata reacts after 7 judges held hostage over voter deletions
What's the story
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the gherao of seven judicial officers in Malda. The incident had drawn a sharp rebuke from the Supreme Court, which ordered the deployment of central armed forces to protect judicial officers, calling the state "most polarized." The officers were held overnight by a mob of voters whose names were removed from the electoral roll during the special intensive revision exercise.
Administrative concerns
My hands are tied, no 1 informed me, says Banerjee
She said the incident was part of the BJP's "game plan." She claimed that the BJP, sensing defeat, wants to get the elections canceled and impose President's rule. "The administration is not in my hand. The Election Commission is controlling law and order... they listen to Home Minister Amit Shah....my powers have been transferred to the EC. It is 'super President's rule'," she said. Banerjee also claimed she was unaware of the incident until a journalist informed her at midnight.
TMC
Judges held hostage for 9 hours
The Trinamool Congress has stated that since the model code of conduct has been implemented, the ECI is responsible for guaranteeing the safety of judicial personnel. Banerjee appealed for calm, urging Bengalis to "not give in to temptations" amid massive agitation over the removal of lakhs of names from the voter list. The seven judicial officers were held hostage for over nine hours by villagers in Kaliachak, Malda district, who demanded their names be included in the electoral rolls.
Judicial intervention
Supreme Court orders CBI or NIA probe
The Supreme Court reacted sharply to the threats posed by protestors to judicial officers and ordered a probe by either the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the hostage situation. Chief Justice Surya Kant termed it a calculated and motivated challenge to judicial authority. He said this incident was an attempt to demoralize judicial officers and disrupt legal proceedings related to objections in left-out cases on the electoral roll.
Government criticism
Court slams Bengal government over judicial officers' safety
The court also slammed the West Bengal government for failing to ensure the safety of judicial officers. "When they were released midnight and they were going to their places, there was stone pelting on their vehicles," it added. The court has asked the chief secretary, DGP, the concerned district magistrate, and SSP to show cause why action should not be taken against them for not ensuring the safe evacuation of the officers.