Kolkata, Dec 29 (PTI) SIR hearings at Chinsurah-Mogra block office in West Bengal's Hooghly district were halted for some time on Monday after TMC MLA Asit Mazumdar objected to the exclusion of booth-level
agents (BLAs) during the process, officials said.
The hearings, which are being conducted at the block office for three assembly constituencies, were stopped after Mazumdar insisted that BLAs be allowed to remain present during the process.
He demanded that officials either permit BLAs to attend the hearings or give in writing that they would not be allowed.
"Unless BLAs are allowed or officials give in writing that they will not be allowed, we will not allow the hearings," Mazumdar told reporters, following which the entry and exit gates of the block office were closed, preventing people from entering the premises.
As per Election Commission guidelines, BLAs are not permitted to be present during such hearings.
Later, Mazumdar toned down his stand and allowed the hearings to resume, citing humanitarian grounds as several people had travelled long distances to attend the process.
However, he did not clarify whether future hearings would be allowed to proceed without the presence of BLAs.
The BJP alleged that the MLA's actions were prompted by instructions from Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The party claimed Banerjee, during a virtual meeting on Sunday, had suggested that BLAs be allowed during the hearings.
Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, demanded that an FIR be lodged against Mazumdar and called for deployment of central forces wherever such disruptions of EC processes are reported.
The Trinamool Congress, however, defended Mazumdar.
Party spokesperson and state president of the AITC social media and IT cell, Debangshu Bhattacharya, said BLAs should be allowed as many people are not capable of understanding the reasons why their names might be deleted from the voter list without proper explanation.
Mazumdar also launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission, accusing it of acting like "zamindars" and "agents of the BJP".
He questioned why people holding Indian passports or those who had served in the armed forces were being asked to appear for verification.
Calling the process "oppressive and unjust", he said the hearings were being used to target genuine citizens and demanded greater transparency, arguing that BLAs must be present so voters are clearly informed about the reasons for any proposed deletion of their names.
The Election Commission has not officially reacted, though sources said officials were instructed to take steps to ensure the hearings resumed. PTI BSM ACD
