In Malda hostage standoff, Mamata Banerjee smells President's rule plot

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday squarely blamed the BJP after the Supreme Court rebuked the state over judicial officers being gheraoed for hours in Malda district.

Speaking at a public meeting in Sagardighi, the Trinamool Congress supremo distanced her government from the incident and pointed to public anger over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls.

"I don’t know who those people are who gheraoed the judicial officers, but people are angry with SIR. I don’t have any power, they have taken all the power from me, law and order and all," she said.

Mamata Banerjee alleged that the incident in Malda was part of the BJP’s "gameplan". Staring at defeat, the saffron party wants to get the Assembly elections later this month cancelled and impose President’s rule in Bengal, she claimed.

Taking aim at the Election Commission, she said, "They want to control law and order but they have failed. They failed to give protection to the judicial officers."

The Trinamool Congress has argued that since the model code of conduct is in force, ensuring the safety of judicial officers is the EC's responsibility.

Appealing for calm, Banerjee urged the people of Bengal to "not give in to temptations" amid widespread unrest over the names of lakhs of people being struck off the voter list with days to go to the assembly polls.

WHAT HAPPENED IN MALDA?

A massive protest broke out on Wednesday outside the Kaliachak II Block Development Office in Malda over deletion of names from electoral rolls during the SIR.

Protesters sought a meeting with judicial officers reviewing cases "under adjudication" to decide whether voters should be retained or deleted. After their request was denied, the crowd surrounded the office around 4 pm, confining seven judicial officers, including three women.

The officers were rescued after about nine hours, around 1 am, by police. Protesters also hurled stones at a police van during the evacuation.

SUPREME COURT BLASTS BENGAL

On Thursday, the matter was taken up by the Supreme Court, which termed the incident an attempt to challenge its authority. Calling West Bengal the "most polarised state", the court said the episode appeared pre-planned and motivated.

"This incident is a brazen attempt not only to browbeat judicial officers but also challenges the authority of this Court," the order said.

The bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant directed the Election Commission to have the NIA or the CBI conduct a thorough probe into the incident.