Bengal facing ‘Trust Deficit,’ politicisation of SIR: Congress MP Isha Khan Choudhury

Malda (West Bengal) [India], April 4 (ANI): Congress MP Isha Khan Choudhury on Saturday said that some individuals may have acted "hot-headed" but stressed that the Congress does not support any disruption of public order.
He described a "very sad state" in West Bengal, citing confusion over voting, and a "trust deficit".
Reacting to the incident where 7 judicial officers were held hostage by Malda villagers, he said, "Some people maybe become hot-headed. Obviously, the Congress party does not support anything out of public order. However, there is a very sad state in Bengal today. There is a lot of confusion regarding who will be able to vote and who won't be. The Supreme Court has also noted the same that there is a trust deficit."
He alleged that the process has been politicised, with the BJP bringing religion into the issue while the opposing side resists it, calling the situation a Bengal-specific problem.
"This is a very soft way of saying there has been a failure in Bengal from the beginning because of the politicisation of SIR. BJP is trying to bring religion into the mix as it usually does and the other party is saying they will not even allow it to happen. This is a Bengal specific problem because the process here has been muddled," Choudhury added.
Earlier, a major political storm had erupted in West Bengal as seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage by villagers in Malda district on Wednesday.
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.
ADG North Bengal K Jayaraman stated that 35 people have been arrested so far in connection with the Malda hostage incident, asserting that authorities will not tolerate further violence.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of attempting to instigate unrest in Malda, alleging that outsiders were brought in to provoke violence.
The allegations come amid heightened political tensions in West Bengal, with parties gearing up for the upcoming state Assembly elections.
The 294-member West Bengal Assembly will go to polls in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4. (ANI)