WB BLO protest: High drama at CEO office; BJP leaders meet poll officials
Kolkata(PTI): A section of BLOs, engaged in the SIR process in West Bengal, held a massive protest outside the CEO's office here on Monday over alleged excessive workload during the ongoing enumeration exercise, prompting the authorities to increase police deployment at the demonstration site.
What began as a routine sit-in by the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee became a massive protest as senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and party MLAs came to meet Election Commission officials in the afternoon, with the demonstrators raising anti-BJP slogans and trying to breach barricades erected by the police.
The narrow stretch outside the CEO's office in central Kolkata erupted with slogans -- "go back" from BLO members, "shame" from BJP supporters -- leading to chaos at the entrance. Police personnel formed chains to prevent the two groups from converging around the gate.
BLO group members shouted that they must be allowed inside to submit their memorandum, accusing the authorities of "avoiding" them for days.
Their cries drew immediate counter-slogans from BJP supporters, forcing security personnel to widen the cordon and repeatedly appeal for calm.
At one point, a barricade wobbled under pressure as protesters leaned in, prompting officers to rush forward and steady it amid noise and confusion.
The agitation spilled into the adjoining lane, where placards, flags, and rising voices pierced through the December afternoon.
Protesting BLOs are seeking a two-month extension for the SIR deadline and compensation for families of deceased BLOs, citing heavy workload concerns.
Inside, however, Adhikari's meeting with CEO Manoj Agarwal and senior officials proceeded.
Once out, the Leader of Opposition told reporters that the BJP had submitted "data concerning 17,111 booths" and demanded strict monitoring of post-December 14 hearings.
"No hearing should take place without live CCTV monitoring from the Commission's control room," he said.
His memorandum also pressed for the removal of "superannuated IAS officers" deployed in the SIR exercise, exclusion of EROs who are not of SDO rank, and deletion of names of what he described as "Bangladeshi Muslims" from electoral rolls.
Adhikari claimed the agitation outside was "scripted by the TMC" as part of a larger bid to undermine the SIR process.
"The protests reflect the ruling party's plan to stall the exercise and safeguard its vote bank of infiltrators," he alleged.
As he exited the office, protesters shouted "chor chor," prompting Adhikari to respond with counter-slogans, including "chor chor dur hatao, Dakat Rani dur hatao."
The TMC hit back, accusing the BJP of "manufacturing conspiracy theories" while ignoring the stress under which BLOs are working.
Senior TMC spokesperson Arup Chakraborty said the Election Commission's "unplanned haste" had created a situation where BLOs were being pushed beyond endurance.
"Four BLOs have already died, two by suicide, one in unnatural circumstances. This is not politics; it is a humanitarian collapse," he said. "The BJP's attempt to communalise the SIR exercise by invoking 'Bangladeshi Muslims' is irresponsible and dangerous."
Chakraborty said, "If the EC can write to the police about barricading and security breaches, it must also explain why BLOs are dying in the line of duty. Their protest is not a script; it is desperation."
Monday's upheaval came in the shadow of back-to-back confrontations over the past week that has turned the CEO office into a recurring flashpoint.
On November 24, BLOs protesting "excessive work pressure" attempted to enter the CEO office after marching from College Square with locks and fetters symbolising their demand to "shut down" the SIR exercise until workloads were rationalised.
A 10-member delegation comprising four BLOs and six government employees was eventually allowed inside, but an allegation by one member of receiving a threat message triggered an impromptu sit-in within the building, prompting police deployment deep into the night.
Two days later, on November 26, the Election Commission wrote to Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma describing the protest inside the CEO office as a "serious security breach" and sought an action taken report within 48 hours.
The EC letter stated that "existing security arrangements appeared inadequate" to prevent a recurrence, following which the premises saw upgraded access control and reinforced barricades visible again in Monday's confrontation.
A second directive followed on November 28, when the EC wrote to West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar directing him to ensure the safety of BLOs and field officials amid reports that some were being threatened during door-to-door enumeration.
The repeated tensions have unfolded against the backdrop of four BLO deaths since the enumeration phase began on November 4.
Two were suicides and one an unnatural death, prompting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to accuse the Commission of imposing the SIR exercise in "express haste" and with "no planning". "These tragedies stain the conscience of the Commission," she said last week.
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BJP using women's quota bill as front to pass Delimitation Bill that will break India: Mamata
Cooch Behar (WB) (PTI): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law in Parliament as a front for the Delimitation Bill that would "break the country into pieces".
The TMC will fight this Central government's move at every step, she asserted at her party's poll rally here.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to tweak the women's quota law, along with the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, to implement the proposed amended women's quota law, in the Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
According to the Constitution amendment bill, Lok Sabha seats will be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats will also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
Opposing the Centre's move, Banerjee alleged that "the BJP brought the Delimitation Bill while keeping the women's reservation bill at the front".
"The BJP is trying to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha to nearly 850 through the Delimitation Bill. It will break the country into pieces," the TMC supremo said.
She also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not speaking the truth about the development of north Bengal at a BJP rally last week.
"The prime minister said nothing was done for the development of north Bengal. But we spent Rs 1.72 lakh crore on the development of the region," Banerjee said and asked Modi to cross-check data before making such remarks.
