KOLKATA: Tension gripped a voter list revision session in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district as alleged Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters created chaos, with a video of the incident rapidly spreading across social media platforms.
The footage, shared by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on his official accounts, captures a group of TMC workers reportedly led by local leaders storming the draft voter list claims and objections hearing at Bhaduriya. Adhikari condemned the act as a blatant display of ‘goondagardi’ by the ruling party’s foot soldiers, vowing that such hooliganism has no place in democracy.
‘This is not an isolated incident,’ Adhikari stated emphatically. ‘It started in Murshidabad’s Farakka, escalated in Uttar Dinajpur’s Chakulia, and now Bhaduriya in North 24 Parganas. The state’s law and order has deteriorated alarmingly, especially during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The Mamata Banerjee government is deliberately allowing this breakdown to shield TMC’s illegal activities like adding fake voters to the lists.’
Such disruptions have become a pattern since the SIR hearings began. TMC activists, often spearheaded by party MLAs, have repeatedly interrupted proceedings across the state. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued multiple directives to the state administration, demanding robust police deployment at hearing centers to prevent these occurrences.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar raised the issue directly during recent meetings with TMC delegations, including one led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on February 2. He made it crystal clear: no tolerance for thuggery aimed at sabotaging the SIR process.
As videos like this continue to surface, questions mount over the integrity of West Bengal’s electoral rolls ahead of future polls. Adhikari’s post has ignited a firestorm online, with opposition voices uniting to demand immediate ECI intervention and strict action against the perpetrators. The state government’s response remains awaited, but the viral clip serves as damning evidence of brewing electoral unrest.