Kolkata, 19 January (H.S.) : Strong protests broke out on the Basanti State Highway on Monday morning over allegations of harassment of eligible voters in the name of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Local residents staged a road blockade, burning tyres and straw on the highway, leading to severe disruption of vehicular movement.

The protest took place in the Bhangankhali area under the jurisdiction of Basanti police station. Due to the sudden road blockade, buses, toto-rickshaws and other vehicles were left stranded on both sides of the road. On the first working day of the week, school and college students, daily commuters and office-goers faced acute inconvenience, with several people reportedly unable to reach their destinations even for urgent work.

Protesters alleged that under the pretext of issuing SIR notices, ordinary citizens are being summoned unnecessarily, subjected to repeated questioning over documents and harassed without justification. According to them, some individuals have been called multiple times, and in certain cases, notices were issued twice for the same reason. The agitators warned that if the alleged harassment does not stop immediately, they will launch a larger movement in the coming days.

Abdul Hakim Sheikh, one of the protesters, said, “Even people whose names appear in the 2002 voter list are being served notices and harassed. We have informed the administration. When we approach the BDO or SDO, they refer to the Election Commission. The role of the Election Commission is now under question. In the name of identifying Bangladeshis, residents who have been living here for 50 to 60 years are being harassed. This is not a political protest; it is an agitation by ordinary local residents.”

Meanwhile, the abrupt blockade caused major inconvenience to the general public, especially during peak morning hours. To prevent any escalation and maintain law and order, police from Basanti police station were deployed in the area. The situation was reported to be under control later in the day, though traffic movement remained affected for several hours.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh