Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 26: Even as the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee promised to “protect” the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) engaged in the “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of the electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday wrote to Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma, for alleged “serious security breach” during a protest demonstration by the BLOs on Monday at the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer in Kolkata.
The EC sought an action-taken report within 48 hours from the police chief for the security breach. “I am directed to state that it has come to the notice of the Election Commission of India that on 24.11.2025 a serious security breach has occurred at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, which has also been widely reported in Media,” the letter stated.
“The existing security in the office of the CEO appeared to be inadequate to handle the situation, which could lead to threat to the safety and security of the Chief Electoral Officer, Additional Chief Electoral Officers, Joint Chief Electoral Officers, Deputy Chief Electoral Officers and other officers and staff working in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer,” the letter added.
The ECI expressed serious concern regarding the incident and instructed the police to implement all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of the officers and staff assigned to the office of CEO Manoj Agarwal, including their safety at home and during their commutes. “The Commission further directs that adequate security classification shall be done on account of sensitivity involved due to SIR activities and forthcoming elections in the State and ensure that no untoward incident occurs again,” said the letter, also copied to chief secretary, home secretary, director general of police and the CEO. Commissioner Verma is yet to respond to the ECI.
The ECI letter followed the demonstration led by the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee outside the CEO’s office citing excessive work pressure during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The protestors initially gathered for a rally on Monday but ended up spending the night inside the CEO’s office, demanding to meet CEO Agarwal.
On Monday, after a rally and following a prolonged impasse, the police allowed a 13-member delegation to enter the office to submit a deputation, briefly easing tension. But fresh unrest erupted soon afterwards. Around 4.30 pm. several committee members sat down outside the CEO’s chamber, demanding that Agarwal himself accept the memorandum. Slogans followed, and the third floor of the building briefly turned chaotic.
At night, seven members remained inside the premises, including convenor Moidul Islam, a school teacher who is not a BLO, along with Amit Mondal, Sonali Chakraborty, Tanushree Bhattacharya, and Soifullah Haldar, all BLOs.
On Monday evening, CEO Manoj Agarwal held a press conference, stating that many BLOs completed their work in 15 days despite the workload and that BLOs are the foot soldiers and real heroes of the SIR process.
But the protesters remained there, wrapped in shawls and seated on the floor, and they stayed inside the office through the night. On Tuesday morning, the scene remained unchanged. The same group continued their sit-in, waiting for the CEO to appear, while the corridor outside his office remained crowded with security personnel. Later, after the CEO met them briefly, those sitting on the third floor outside his cabin decided to withdraw their protest. However, a bunch of BLOs and their supporters continued to protest on the road outside the CEO’s office building.
Meanwhile, Ms Banerjee while pledging to “protect democracy” in India slammed the BJP government at the Centre for attacking democracy and religion, raising questions on citizenship and voting rights, and for “rushing” the SIR process in the country.
“Today, when democracy and religion are being attacked, and questions are being raised on citizenship and voting rights, we must ask ourselves: do we have to give proof of our citizenship? NRC [National Register of Citizens] is behind this. We are shocked and saddened by this. This is why I take a pledge here today to protect India’s democracy, which is the biggest,” Banerjee said, after offering tributes at a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar in Kolkata on the occasion of Constitution Day.
“Do one thing [BJP], send 4 crore notices and we will still fight you! I condemn them for what they are doing. They have pushed the nation so low. Where is neutrality? There is only unfairness and partisanship,” she said.
Banerjee spoke up in defence of the thousands of BLOs in the state who are scrambling to complete the SIR process. “BLOs are dying everywhere. Their demands are justified. Can you imagine that they had to sit for 48 hours just for a meeting?” she asked, referring to the protest by the members of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee outside the CEO’s office over “excessive work pressure.”
“You (BLO) should not die by suicide because life is very precious. Yet they have no mercy and took 48 hours just to meet the BLOs and listen to them. Look at the audacity of a small leader [state CEO]! We have the records of all the deaths. Who is responsible for the BLO deaths in Gujarat and MP? BJP is in power there. Why are they rushing the SIR? Are they all saints? They are threatening the BLOs by saying their jobs will be taken away. Who will save your jobs when you are threatening others?” she said.
Banerjee questioned the ECI stand that the SIR work could be completed within two months. “How can you complete the work of three years in two months? This is farming season. Even the distribution figures of the enumeration forms are wrong. We will follow the Constitution and work as per it. Whatever guidance the freedom fighters have given us, we will follow their guidelines and not the BJP’s guidelines,” she added.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Banerjee said, “We did not get freedom because of the mercy of those in power today [BJP], we got it because of the freedom fighters. Ninety per cent were Bengali, while Punjab also made one of the biggest contributions. It was Bengal that brought renaissance and revolution to India.”
“Are they trying to destroy Bengal’s identity? We are a part of India, and we are proud to say that Bengal has always fought for democracy, secularism, and unity in diversity. We are saddened to see democratic rights being taken away and division happening everywhere on religious grounds,” she added.
Accusing the BJP of “pushing people to the verge of dying” because of the citizenship issue, Banerjee said, “Those who are doing politics with this, it is a shame! People’s houses have been demolished in Bihar. This is the BJP’s trick, to loot after the polls. We have to unite against this. If we cannot say Jai Hind and Vande Mataram and if they disrespect Raja Rammohan Roy, is this acceptable? You are disrespecting our land! A leader is one who understands and respects people. All agencies have been complicit!”
Meanwhile, the ECI conveyed to the Supreme Court a sense of confidence in carrying off the SIR exercise in the midst of local body elections in the State, saying there was “no problem” whatsoever and over 90% enumeration forms have already been distributed.
Appearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Wednesday, the ECI, represented by senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, submitted that the “Election Commission and the Kerala State Election Commission were collaborating with officials on the ground and District Collectors in Kerala. They are confident. Ninety per cent of the enumeration have been distributed and 70%, which have been submitted back, have been digitised.”
The SIR process is scheduled from November 4 to December 4. The Kerala State Election Commission had decided to conduct the local body elections in the State on December 9 and December 11. The State government, in a petition filed through advocate C.K. Sasi, had pointed out that the simultaneous conduct of the SIR and elections would be a “near impossibility.”
“SIR is a huge exercise requiring deployment of 1,76,000 personnel from government and quasi-governmental services for election-related duties, and further 68,000 police and other security personnel. SIR is also a comprehensive process with a cumbersome procedure,” it had submitted.
The Communist Party of India (CPI), a partner in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala, had separately moved the apex court seeking not only the deferment of the SIR but also a judicial direction to quash the revision process, which had spread to 12 States and Union Territories after Bihar.
On Wednesday, the ECI denied the Kerala government’s version of human resources crunch, saying “different people have been allotted Booth Level Officer duties from those deployed in the local self-government institutions (LSGI) elections”.
The ECI said, if need be, the State Election Commission would allocate more people as BLOs in Kerala. Tamil Nadu argued that ECI had given “unrealistic timelines” to complete the SIR process in the State. There was also the forecast of a cyclone.
One of the petitioners submitted that the ECI had only digitised 50% enumeration forms in the past 22 days in Tamil Nadu, and there were only eight days left before the end of enumeration stage on December 4. Mr Dwivedi assuaged fears by noting that once the enumerations were signed and submitted by citizens, it would be processed on time by the ECI machinery.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for West Bengal and Kerala, however, said what was happening on the ground was very different from what was presented in court. Mr Dwivedi said in States like West Bengal, political parties opposing SIR were deliberately hampering the distribution of enumeration forms.
Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Neha Rathi submitted that BLOs were taking their own lives, unable to cope with the workload. Mr Dwivedi countered that such an allegation was not part of any record filed by Mr Bhushan’s client, the Association of Democratic Reforms, in the apex court.
