Malda district is witnessing escalating unrest over allegations of large-scale deletions of valid voters from the Supplementary Inclusion Roll (SIR), with protests intensifying across multiple areas since Wednesday. Demonstrations, road blockades, and clashes with police have disrupted normal life, while the administration struggles to restore order.
The epicentre of the agitation was Sujapur, where thousands of protesters blocked National Highway 12, a crucial Kolkata–Siliguri corridor, from 9:00 AM on Wednesday until approximately 12:40 AM the following night. The blockade, lasting over 15 hours, left thousands of vehicles stranded and brought traffic to a complete standstill.
Protesters alleged that despite submitting required documents during hearings, their names were removed from the voter list. “We followed every procedure laid down by the Commission, yet our names appear in the cancelled list. With no other option left, we took to the streets,” said locals Azmul Sheikh and Abdul Haque.
During the blockade, scenes of both disruption and solidarity unfolded. While vehicles remained stuck for hours, protesters distributed food, including khichuri, to demonstrators and stranded commuters. Ambulances, however, were allowed to pass.
Despite the deployment of a large contingent of police and central forces, authorities failed to disperse the crowd. Senior district officials and police held discussions with protesters, but negotiations did not yield any breakthrough. The blockade was eventually lifted after demonstrators issued a four-day ultimatum to the administration.
The situation was further complicated by simultaneous protests in other parts of the district, making it impossible to divert traffic through alternative routes.
Amid the chaos, seven Judicial Magistrates engaged in SIR-related duties were stranded while attempting to reach the district headquarters via the Mothabari bypass. The group, which included three women judges, was caught in the protests near the Kaliachak-II Block Office.
They were rescued shortly after midnight under heavy police escort. Authorities alleged that attempts were made to block their passage using bamboo barricades. Prior to the rescue, police reportedly resorted to a baton charge to disperse protesters gathered near the block office.
Even before tensions could subside, fresh protests erupted on Thursday morning in Narayanpur (Old Malda), where residents again blocked roads, raising similar demands.
Protesters accused the Election Commission of bias and irregularities in the voter verification process. One protester alleged, “The Commission is functioning under political influence. An AI-based system is being used that does not understand Bengali realities—it only categorizes people in communal terms.”
Others claimed that voter deletions were disproportionately affecting minority-dominated areas. “We were told that if parents’ names appeared in the 2002 voter list, their children would automatically be included. Now, even those names are being struck off citing ‘logical errors’,” said Moinul Shaikh.
The situation turned volatile in the Jadupur area of English Bazar, where protests escalated into violence. A large crowd blocked roads from 10:00 AM, but tensions flared when police arrived.
An agitated mob attacked a police vehicle, vandalising it and injuring the driver, who was hit by a brick. Protesters claimed that over 300 names had been deleted from voter lists in Booth Nos. 26 and 27, with hundreds more facing uncertainty. Similar protests and road blockades were reported from Chandipur, Mothabari, Dautalpur (Harishchandrapur-II Block), and Purba Kashimpur (North Dinajpur).
The controversy has taken a political turn, with Trinamool Congress leader and outgoing minister Sabina Yasmin staging a sit-in protest at the Kaliachak-I Block office under the slogan “First the voter, then the vote.”
Yasmin, who is contesting from Sujapur, questioned the scale of exclusions in the constituency. “We are asking people for votes, but they are asking us how they will vote if their names are missing. We have no answers,” she said. She further alleged that between 250 and 400 names have been arbitrarily removed from voter rolls in several booths and questioned whether the issue disproportionately affects minority-heavy areas.
Sources indicated that the matter has been brought to the notice of the High Court. The Election Commission has also sought a report from the Director General of State Police. However, no official statement has been issued by the state administration. Meanwhile, allegations of police firing during protests surfaced, though authorities have denied these claims.
