Roadblock at the Jadupur crossing on NH-12 in Malda's Englishbazar area
Fresh violence broke out in parts of Malda district in West Bengal on Thursday, as protests over alleged discrepancies in voter rolls intensified, disrupting normal life and raising serious concerns over law and order in the region.
The unrest was most severe in the Jadupur Bypass area under English Bazar, where a group of protesters attempted to block National Highway 12, a key arterial route connecting North and South Bengal. When police personnel intervened to clear the blockade and restore traffic movement, the situation quickly spiralled into violence.
According to sources, the agitating mob allegedly attacked a police vehicle during the confrontation. The vehicle was vandalised, and its driver sustained a head injury in the incident. Visuals from the ground depicted chaotic scenes, with burning tyres, road obstructions, and demonstrators occupying major stretches of the highway.
The protests were not limited to a single location. Demonstrations spread to other areas, including Manikchak Stand, where residents staged sit-ins and blocked roads since early morning. Protesters, some carrying the national flag, raised slogans and demanded immediate intervention from authorities.
At the heart of the unrest are allegations linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Protesters claimed that names of several legitimate voters had been arbitrarily removed, effectively disenfranchising them. They warned that the agitation would continue until the administration assured restoration of the deleted names and transparency in the revision process.
The situation in Malda comes on the heels of a major controversy a day earlier in Kaliachak, where seven judicial officers engaged in voter verification were gheraoed inside a Block Development Office for several hours. The incident drew sharp criticism from the Supreme Court of India, which expressed strong displeasure and termed it a serious failure of the state administration.
The apex court observed that such incidents appeared to be a deliberate attempt to intimidate and demoralise officials performing statutory duties, further intensifying scrutiny on the state government’s handling of the situation.
In response to the తాజ violence, police have registered at least ten cases, including multiple suo motu FIRs. Authorities have significantly increased security deployment across sensitive pockets of Malda, with both state police and central forces conducting patrols to prevent further escalation.
Traffic movement on NH-12 remained disrupted for hours, affecting commuters and transport services. Officials are now working to restore normalcy, even as tensions continue to simmer in the region.
