Kolkata, 13 December (H.S.):
Special Roll Observers deployed for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal have expressed concerns about their security during field duty. These observers, appointed by the Election Commission, have demanded the protection of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for their safety.
A senior official from the state Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office provided this information on Saturday. He stated that the West Bengal CEO's office has sent a formal request to the Election Commission headquarters in New Delhi in this regard.
The Special Roll Observers have also requested that if providing central force cover is not possible, they should be granted magisterial powers. This would mean that the security forces deployed with them would follow their instructions, while the state police would be responsible for their security arrangements.
Meanwhile, the Special Roll Observers have also requested the Election Commission to review Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's statement during an anti-SIR rally held in Krishnanagar, Nadia district. Observers alleged that the Chief Minister, in his speech, incited women voters against officials involved in the voter list revision.
At a rally in Krishnanagar, the Chief Minister had said that if names are removed from the voter list, mothers and sisters should be prepared with kitchen utensils. He urged women to fight from the front and men to provide support from behind, and also raised the question of whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has greater strength or that of mothers and sisters.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
