MALDA, WEST BENGAL — Tension gripped West Bengal this Thursday as police arrested 18 individuals, including a prominent political candidate, following a harrowing security breach in Malda. The arrests follow a violent Wednesday night agitation where a thousands-strong mob held seven judicial officers hostage for eight hours. Among those detained is Maulana Muhammad Shahjahan Ali Qadri, the Indian Secular Front (ISF) candidate for the Mothabari assembly seat.
The unrest stems from the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Thousands of protestors gathered at the Mothabari 2 Block Development Office (BDO), alleging the targeted deletion of names from the voters’ list. The situation turned critical when judicial officers, including two women, found themselves trapped inside the building from 4 PM until 10 PM. Outside, the mob shouted slogans against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Chief Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Judicial Crisis and Direct High Court Intervention
The crisis reached a breaking point when the stranded officers reportedly contacted judges at the Calcutta High Court. Following direct instructions from the Chief Justice to the state administration, a large police contingent finally moved in to escort the officers to safety. Despite the presence of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), the mob had blocked National Highway-12 with bricks and bamboo poles, pelting stones at the rescue convoys.
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While the ISF candidate claims he was framed while returning from a cultural event, the Malda district court has remanded him to 10 days of police custody. Officials have charged the group with destroying public property and obstructing government staff. Meanwhile, the scale of the agitation has prompted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to initiate a probe into the potential coordination behind these widespread disruptions.
Political Blame Game: TMC vs. BJP Amid Two-Phase Polls
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, campaigning in Malda for the upcoming April 23 and 29 polls, took a defiant stand. She alleged a conspiracy to disenfranchise voters, particularly in Muslim-majority districts like Malda and Murshidabad. Banerjee claimed that thousands of names were deleted, including 40,000 in her own Bhawanipore constituency. Furthermore, she suggested the violence was a ploy to justify the imposition of President’s rule in the state.
Conversely, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of orchestrating the unrest from Kolkata. He described the hostage situation as “alarming” and alleged that local TMC leaders backed the blockades. As the West Bengal voter list protests 2026 spread to Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, the ECI has issued strict orders for the arrest of anyone involved in harassing electoral officials.
Widespread Disruptions and Security Concerns
On Thursday, fresh protests erupted across four districts. Demonstrators blocked roads by burning tyres and felling trees in Sujapur, Kaliachak, and Old Malda. In Murshidabad, where the Muslim population stands at over 66%, the sense of grievance remains high. Many protestors refused to carry political flags, making it difficult for law enforcement to identify specific organizational backers.
The ECI maintains that the revision process is transparent and aimed at removing “ghost voters.” However, the administrative delay in rescuing the judges has raised serious questions about local law enforcement’s ability to maintain order. With the NIA now involved, the focus shifts to whether these protests were spontaneous or a “planned attempt” to derail the democratic process.