Following the incident, Murugan reported the incident to West Bengal-Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal. The Hearing phase of SIR started on December 27.
People, mainly women, gheraoed Murugan’s vehicle as he was leaving the hearing centre in Magrahat is in South 24 Parganas district, which falls under Trinamool National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s Constituency. Police had a harrowing time, managing the crowd and giving passage to Murugan’s convoy.
Women and locals were seen thumping on his vehicle, sources said. He had gone to Sirakol High School in Magrahat to oversee hearings.
While travelling from Magrahat I to Magrahat II, the Special Observer’s vehicle was attacked and the lock was broken. Murugan said, “I will complete my duty and only leave after doing my work. What security will an IAS officer need? I am an IAS officer and the Election Commission has sent me to do my work.”
Asked about the protest, C Murugan said, “Administration will look into such matters. I will do my work.”
The women protestors said that they don’t want SIR but want money for a 100 days work scheme.C Murguan had faced similar protests during the Enumeration phase in South 24 Paragans district’s Falta. Magrahat Police Station had hard times to make passage for the Special Rolls Observer to make way.
Meanwhile, hearing of Bengal SIR has been stalled on Monday several times in different parts of the state, on the third day today.
In Hooghly district’s Chinsurah Mogra MLA Asim Sarkar stopped the hearing process in three Assembly Constituencies for around two hours as BLA2s, political party representatives, were not allowed to enter the hearing centre, as per ECI instructions. Similar incidents happened in Bardhaman and East Midnapore.