‘Inhuman, arrogant’: Mamata flays ECI over 48-hr wait for BLOs
Kolkata: Calling the Election Commission of India (ECI) “inhuman” for keeping the agitating booth level officers (BLOs) on wait for more than a day before meeting them, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday once again threw her weight behind the BLOs.
Speaking to reporters after garlanding the statue of BR Ambedkar at Red Road on the occasion of Constitution Day, Banerjee said: “For 48 hours they (BLOs) had to wait to get themselves heard. So inhuman. Why so much arrogance? BLOs are dying. Won’t they speak out?” she asked.
Referring to Tuesday’s incident where she listened to the grievances of family members of a deceased youth near Barasat Medical College on her way back from Bongaon, she said that she directed the necessary steps within no time. Whereas the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) under the ECI took 48 hours to meet the agitating BLOs, Banerjee alleged.
“Can you imagine that they had to sit for 48 hours just for a meeting? When I was coming back yesterday (from Bongaon), some people wanted to speak to me and I heard their grievances and did what was necessary. But why should the BLOs wait for 48 hours just to make their case heard? What kind of arrogance is this? They (ECI) are not meeting more than four representatives from our end. We have said that we will send a 10-member delegation. Why? Will they decide now whom they will meet?” Banerjee asked.
Her remarks came on the heels of a sit-in demonstration by a section of the BLOs at the office of the CEO. The sit-in demonstration was called off after the Bengal CEO met them. Incidentally, several BLOs have died in different parts of the country, with the ruling Trinamool Congress attributing many of the Bengal deaths to suicides driven by SIR-related stress.
“BLOs have died in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Bengal. Their demands are completely justified,” Banerjee added. She wrote to the chief election commissioner, last week, arguing for halting the SIR exercise in Bengal, where the deaths and pressure on the BLOs was cited as one of the reasons.
She also urged the BLOs not to take any drastic steps. “You should not die by suicide because life is very precious. 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?” Banerjee asked.
