“No One Informed Me”: Mamata Banerjee Alleges Loss of Control After Judicial Officers Held Hostage in Bengal

“I don't know who is responsible… no one informed me,” the Trinamool Congress leader said, adding, “The administration is not in my hand. The Election Commission is controlling law-and-order (in the state) … they listen to Home Minister Amit Shah. Everyone has been changed… my powers have been transferred to the EC. It is ‘super President's rule’.”

The Chief Minister alleged that the Election Commission had “totally failed to control law and order” and reiterated that “all my powers have been taken away.” Speaking at a poll rally in Murshidabad district, she said, “I came to know (about the hostages) from a journalist at midnight.” She also added, “But I understand why people are angry,” underscoring resentment over the SIR exercise.

The incident drew sharp criticism from the judiciary, with Chief Justice Surya Kant stating that it posed a “calculated and motivated” challenge to the authority of the country’s top judicial forum. The court called for a federal agency—either the CBI or the anti-terror body National Investigation Agency—to lead a probe.

“This incident is a brazen attempt not only to browbeat judicial officers but also challenge the authority of this court... appears to be a calculated, motivated move to demoralise judicial officers and stop adjudication of objections...” the court observed.

The seven judicial officers, including three women, had been detained by a mob of voters whose names were deleted from the electoral roll ahead of this month’s two-phase Assembly election. The electoral roll overhaul was conducted under the Election Commission’s orders as part of a Special Intensive Revision exercise, a move that opposition parties have claimed is designed to eliminate sympathetic voters.

Judicial officers are racing against time to complete the SIR before voting begins on April 23. In Malda, protests erupted on Wednesday after several names were struck off the list. A large mob gathered, and the situation escalated, leading to the officers being taken hostage.

The standoff continued for nine hours until a contingent of police and paramilitary personnel intervened around 1 am Thursday and moved the officers to a safe location. Reports indicated attempts to attack vehicles evacuating the officers, with visuals showing one car with shattered window glass and protesters throwing stones at other vehicles.

The incident underscores escalating tensions surrounding the electoral roll revision process and raises serious concerns about law and order, administrative control, and the safety of judicial authorities during a critical election period.