Hili erupts over fake ‘Form 7’ filings targeting voters

BALURGHAT: Tension prevailed at the Hili BDO office in South Dinajpur after serious allegations surfaced against a BJP mandal president for allegedly submitting Form 7 against several valid voters, terming them “dead” and “Bangladeshi.” The controversy came to light during a scheduled hearing, where affected voters gathered and expressed strong resentment.

According to administrative sources, under the SIR process initiated by the Balurghat Sub-Divisional Officer, BJP’s Hili mandal president Bidhan Ray had submitted Form 7 applications against 44 voters in the block. The voters were summoned to appear before the Hili BDO office on Wednesday afternoon for verification.

During the hearing, several voters alleged that false and misleading information had been provided against them. After examining relevant documents, the administration reportedly assured the voters that their records would be verified as per due procedure.

Abdul Karim Mondal, one of the voters allegedly declared dead and a Bangladeshi, said: “BJP’s Bidhan Ray submitted Form 7 against me and 39 others with incorrect information, calling us dead and Bangladeshi. I attended the hearing and submitted my documents. The administration has assured us after verification.”

Another voter, Faruk Ali Sarkar, said: “I have been falsely described as dead and Bangladeshi. The complainant neither accepted the notice nor attended the hearing. I am an Indian citizen and very much alive. I request the administration to take legal action against those who made

false allegations.”

TMC leader Arpita Ghosh reached the BDO office and stood by the affected voters. Launching a sharp attack on the BJP, she said: “Harassing people is the only work of the BJP. They are trying to confuse and intimidate voters. The person who filed the complaint has fled from his house. If people remember this harassment, they will remove the BJP from South Dinajpur. We are taking organisational steps and people must also learn a lesson from this.”

Leaders of the TMC and the Left Front also approached the BDO, alleging that valid voters were being deliberately harassed through the misuse of Form 7.

Responding to the allegations, BJP mandal president Bidhan Ray said, “I submitted Form 7 as per party instructions. If anyone has objections, they can prove their claim before the Election Commission.

Form 7 exists for raising such objections regarding whether a person is dead or a foreign national. Let the truth be established through proper verification.