Mamata Banerjee slams attack on judges, accuses BJP of unrest plot

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday strongly condemned the attack on judicial officers in Malda alleging a larger political conspiracy aimed at destabilising the state ahead of Assembly elections reported news agency PTIAddressing public rallies in Sagardighi and Suti Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP of attempting to incite unrest and create conditions for the imposition of Presidentrsquos Rule in West Bengal reported PTICM Alleges Larger Political ConspiracyBanerjee claimed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was orchestrating a ldquoblueprintrdquo to fuel instability in the state She urged people not to fall into what she described as a deliberate attempt to provoke communal tension and violence reported PTIAccording to her the unrest linked to the Malda incident was being used to tarnish the image of West Bengal and justify extraordinary political interventionCondemns Attack on Judicial OfficersThe Chief Minister condemned the gherao of judicial officers during the Special Intensive Revision SIR of electoral rolls stressing that while citizens have the right to protest any form of aggression against judicial authorities is unacceptable reported PTIShe reiterated that maintaining law and order and respecting institutions must remain a priority even during periods of political tensionCriticism of Election Commissionrsquos RoleBanerjee also criticised the Election Commission of India accusing it of failing to ensure the safety of judicial officers despite being in control of the administrative machinery during the election period reported PTIShe claimed that key administrative powers had been taken away from the state government following the announcement of elections making the Election Commission responsible for maintaining securitySupreme Court Orders Independent ProbeThe controversy escalated after the Supreme Court of India took serious note of the Malda incident describing it as a failure of the state administration The court directed that an independent probe be conducted by central agencies and instructed authorities to ensure adequate deployment of forces at sensitive locationsThe court also emphasised the need to protect officials involved in the electoral revision processClaims of Voter Deletion Raise Political TensionsBanerjee alleged that largescale deletion of voter names was taking place across the state affecting minorities economically weaker sections and other vulnerable groups She claimed that even in her Bhabanipur constituency thousands of names had been removed from electoral rolls reported PTIThe voter revision exercise has emerged as a major political flashpoint ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections with the ruling party accusing opponents of attempting to influence electoral outcomesAppeal for Calm Amid Rising Political HeatDespite her sharp criticism Banerjee repeatedly appealed to citizens to maintain peace and avoid reacting to provocations She emphasised that political battles should be fought democratically through elections rather than through violence or unrest reported PTIThe developments have intensified political tensions in West Bengal with both the ruling party and the opposition trading allegations as the state moves closer to a crucial electoral contestWith inputs from PTI