NEW DELHI: BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj on Thursday lashed out at the TMC over the gheraoing of seven judicial officers in West Bengal's Malda district during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and asserted that SIR is not a political exercise but a constitutional necessity.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Swaraj said a very serious incident took place on Wednesday in which "democracy was crushed."
In West Bengal's Malda area, people belonging to the ruling dispensation of TMC confined judicial officers for hours, especially women officers, she said.
"The Supreme Court has taken cognisance of the matter. It has given the observation that there was a complete breakdown of law and order in West Bengal. I demand from Parliament that a clear message be given. I urge the central government that such anarchy is not acceptable in West Bengal," the BJP MP from New Delhi said.
She asserted that SIR is not a political exercise but a constitutional necessity.
The Supreme Court on Thursday came down heavily on the West Bengal administration for their alleged inaction over the "deplorable" gherao and attack on seven judicial officers in Malda district during the SIR drive and ordered an independent probe by the CBI or NIA.
In a scathing indictment of the state administration, the top court said the incident "also exposes complete failure of the state administration" and observed that West Bengal is the "most polarised state."