In the video, he was purportedly heard saying that the poll panel would be “taught a lesson” and even “hunted down from under the earth.”
File Photo: IANS
In a major development, the Election Commission of India directed the Murshidabad district administration to lodge an In a major development, the Election Commission of India directed the Murshidabad district administration to lodge an FIR on Thursday against Trinamul Congress MLA Monirul Islam in connection with the vandalism at the Farakka BDO office earlier this month.
The commission asked the District Magistrate, who is also the District Election Officer (DEO), to ensure that the FIR is registered by 5 p.m. on Thursday.
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The directive stems from an incident on 14 January, when Islam, accompanied by supporters, reached the Farakka BDO office and raised slogans rejecting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
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According to allegations, the protest escalated when Islam and his supporters forcibly entered the office, pushed out members of the public and carried out extensive vandalism, triggering widespread unrest in the area.
The Farakka incident immediately drew the attention of the Election Commission, which took up the matter with state police.
The commission had spoken to Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar over the phone and asked for an FIR to be registered.
Although an FIR was subsequently lodged at Farakka police station, it did not name Islam as an accused, leading to further controversy.
Following this, the commission stepped in again and this time issued a clear directive to file an FIR specifically naming Manirul Islam.
The unrest in Farakka had its origins in protests by a section of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who alleged that ordinary voters were being repeatedly harassed in the name of the SIR process.
Citing mental pressure, some BLOs had attempted to submit mass resignation letters to the Electoral Registration Officer.
The situation worsened when Islam led a group of protesters to the BDO office, chanting slogans against SIR, culminating in the alleged attack on the office premises.
The commission’s action on Thursday comes against the backdrop of a political storm that erupted on Wednesday after Islam was seen in a video allegedly making threatening remarks against the ECI amid the ongoing standoff over SIR.
In the video, he was purportedly heard saying that the poll panel would be “taught a lesson” and even “hunted down from under the earth.”
We did not verify the authenticity of the video.
With the Election Commission now insisting on an FIR directly against the sitting MLA, the Farakka episode has further intensified the political and administrative confrontation over the SIR process in Bengal. on Thursday against Trinamul Congress MLA Monirul Islam in connection with the vandalism at the Farakka BDO office earlier this month.
The commission asked the District Magistrate, who is also the District Election Officer (DEO), to ensure that the FIR is registered by 5 p.m. on Thursday.
The directive stems from an incident on 14 January, when Islam, accompanied by supporters, reached the Farakka BDO office and raised slogans rejecting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
According to allegations, the protest escalated when Islam and his supporters forcibly entered the office, pushed out members of the public and carried out extensive vandalism, triggering widespread unrest in the area.
The Farakka incident immediately drew the attention of the Election Commission, which took up the matter with state police.
The commission had spoken to Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar over the phone and asked for an FIR to be registered.
Although an FIR was subsequently lodged at Farakka police station, it did not name Islam as an accused, leading to further controversy.
Following this, the commission stepped in again and this time issued a clear directive to file an FIR specifically naming Manirul Islam.
The unrest in Farakka had its origins in protests by a section of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who alleged that ordinary voters were being repeatedly harassed in the name of the SIR process.
Citing mental pressure, some BLOs had attempted to submit mass resignation letters to the Electoral Registration Officer.
The situation worsened when Islam led a group of protesters to the BDO office, chanting slogans against SIR, culminating in the alleged attack on the office premises.
The commission’s action on Thursday comes against the backdrop of a political storm that erupted on Wednesday after Islam was seen in a video allegedly making threatening remarks against the ECI amid the ongoing standoff over SIR.
In the video, he was purportedly heard saying that the poll panel would be “taught a lesson” and even “hunted down from under the earth.”
We did not verify the authenticity of the video.
With the Election Commission now insisting on an FIR directly against the sitting MLA, the Farakka episode has further intensified the political and administrative confrontation over the SIR process in Bengal.
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