Heavy security deployed near Kolkata CEO office after BJP-TMC clashes; traffic diverted

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 1 (ANI): A day after violent clashes erupted between supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) outside the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office in Kolkata, authorities have stepped up security measures in the area to prevent any further unrest.
The preventive step was taken as more than 500 supporters from both parties were involved in the confrontation, which continued for over eight hours and led to heightened tensions in the vicinity.
In response, a heavy deployment of security personnel has been put in place to maintain law and order and avoid a repeat of the previous day's incidents.
Barricades have been set up along a key stretch of Hare Street near the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO's) office in Kolkatato restrict access and control crowd movement. The area remains under close surveillance, with security forces monitoring the situation closely.
As part of the tightened arrangements, vehicular movement toward the CEO's office has been completely restricted. Traffic has been diverted to alternate routes, causing disruptions for commuters in the area.
Officials stated that the measures are precautionary and will remain in place until the situation returns to normal. Meanwhile, authorities have urged political workers and the public to maintain peace and cooperate with law enforcement agencies.
Speaking to ANI, Assistant Commissioner Sri Deblal Basu said, "The police force is fully prepared to handle any situation, warning that strict action will be taken against supporters of any political party who attempt to disrupt law and order."
Violence erupted outside the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Kolkata on Tuesday, with clashes between TMC and BJP workers over allegations that Form 6, used to apply for the fresh inclusion of names in the electoral roll, is being submitted in large numbers in West Bengal.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday also wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar about the issue, accusing that "BJP agents have been caught red-handed flooding the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal with thousands of fraudulent Form 6 applications to smuggle non-residents and outsiders into Bengal's electoral rolls. This is an attempt at voter hijacking."
She further alleged, calling for the Election Commission to punish such actions which are "illegal, unconstitutional, and fundamentally undemocratic in nature."
In response to the allegations, CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal on Tuesday said, "This is not my work. I cannot keep checking who is bringing what into my office. Should I conduct elections in the whole State or keep doing this?"
A group of booth-level officers (BLOs), backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress, claimed on Tuesday that they intercepted a BJP worker carrying over 400 Form 6 applications into the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Kolkata. Following this, BLOs and TMC supporters staged a protest outside the office, raising concerns over the matter. BJP workers soon arrived at the scene, leading to a heated confrontation between the two sides.
TMC protesters had alleged that the BJP was attempting to register voters from outside West Bengal to sway the elections in its favour. To control the escalating tension, central forces and local police were deployed at the spot. Police personnel, equipped with batons, resorted to charging the protesters in an effort to disperse the crowd and calm the situation.
The incident came a day after TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee submitted a formal complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, accusing the Election Commission of India of altering the state's demographic composition by adding voters from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to the electoral rolls. He had further alleged that the BJP had submitted at least 30,000 Form 6 applications in bulk. (ANI)