BJP alleges tribal woman BLO attacked after flagging ‘Bangladeshi’ name in voter list

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday accused the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government of failing to protect a tribal woman Booth Level Officer (BLO), alleging she was attacked after objecting to the inclusion of a “Bangladeshi national” in the voter list. The party shared the allegation through a post on social media platform X, calling the incident serious and alarming.

According to the BJP, the victim, Bimli Tudu Hansda, who belongs to the tribal community and is serving as a BLO, was allegedly assaulted by Abdul Rahim Gazi. The party claimed Hansda had identified Gazi as a Bangladeshi citizen and reported to her senior officials that he was attempting to get his name fraudulently added to the electoral rolls.

The BJP alleged that after learning about the complaint, the accused assaulted Hansda by beating her with shoes, while his wife allegedly went to her residence and created a disturbance. The party said the incident reflects growing threats faced by field-level election officials during voter list verification.

Targeting the Trinamool Congress government, the BJP alleged that tribal communities in the state are facing continuous humiliation and violence, and claimed their condition has worsened under the current regime. Describing alleged illegal Bangladeshi nationals as the ruling party’s “vote bank,” the BJP termed the incident a grave violation of human rights and human dignity.