“Want to tell SC, Bengal can never have fair polls under Mamata”: Union Minister Giriraj Singh

Begusarai (Bihar) [India], April 3 (ANI): Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Friday launched a sharp attack on West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, saying that she has only done appeasement politics in her 15-year tenure.
Speaking to reporters, Singh mentioned that Mamata Banerjee neither talks about poverty nor unemployment in front of the public, adding that he wants to tell the Supreme Court that West Bengal cannot host impartial elections, since the TMC supremo is in power.
"Mamata Banerjee should take a lesson from the Supreme Court's observations. In 15 years of her tenure, Mamata Banerjee has only done appeasement politics. She neither talks about poverty in front of the public, nor about unemployment, nor about violence, nor does she address any questions on rape. Even on the biggest incident, the reinstatement of teachers, she doesn't speak. I want to tell the Supreme Court that Bengal cannot have impartial elections till the time Mamata Banerjee is there," said Giriraj Singh.
The politics in West Bengal has heated up ever since the announcement of Special Intensive Revision in the state, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee strongly opposing the exercise and accusing the ECI of working on the behest of the BJP.
In a recent incident, seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage by villagers in Malda district on April 1. The incident was linked to alleged mass deletions from electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday handed over the investigation of West Bengal's Malda district to the NIA, where seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage by villagers on April 1.
Following a Supreme Court order, CEC Kumar transferred the probe, with the NIA team set to arrive in West Bengal on Friday.
The ECI, in a letter issued on April 2, referred to the top court's order and directed the NIA to probe the incident that occurred on Wednesday.
According to the letter, the NIA has been asked to submit a preliminary inquiry report directly to the Supreme Court. The case will be heard next on April 6, 2026, with the concerned officials directed to appear virtually.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court described the incident as a brazen and deliberate attempt to obstruct the administration of justice.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed concern that, despite prior intimation, the State authorities failed to provide prompt protection, leaving the officers without food or water for hours.
The court issued show-cause notices to senior State officials, including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Director-General of Police, asking them to explain their inaction.
It directed the Election Commission to requisition and deploy adequate central forces to ensure the safety of judicial officers and the smooth conduct of the SIR adjudication process.
The bench also mandated strict security measures at all venues, restricted public entry, ordered an immediate assessment of threat perceptions to the officers and their families, and required compliance reports. It asked senior officials to be present virtually at the next hearing.
Meanwhile, the BJP termed the Malda incident "shocking" and alleged a breakdown of the law and order situation.
Majumdar questioned whether the provocation by Mamata Banerjee's party led to the situation and urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to investigate the matter, including whether those removed from voter lists were Indian citizens.
The standoff was triggered by mass deletions from the electoral rolls under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The incident was part of a broader wave of protests that paralysed Malda throughout the day, as demonstrators staged road blockades across national and state highways and key rural routes in at least five Assembly constituencies.
The allegations come amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal, with parties gearing up for the upcoming state Assembly elections. The state will go to the polls in two phases, with voting scheduled on April 23 and April 29, while counting will take place on May 4.
In the 2021 Assembly elections in the state held in eight phases, the Trinamool Congress recorded a landslide victory with 213 seats amid an intense contest with the BJP, which jumped to 77 seats. Congress and Left Front drew a blank in the last state polls. (ANI)