Mofakkarul Islam, accused of being the main conspirator behind the Malda hostage crisis, stated that protests against voter name deletions in West Bengal would continue. He made this remark while speaking to reporters after being presented before a local court on Friday, a day after his arrest at Bagdogra Airport in Siliguri while allegedly attempting to flee.
Islam asserted that demonstrations would persist until the names of voters placed under adjudication are restored to the electoral rolls. He clarified that his actions were not directed by any political party, describing them instead as efforts undertaken in the public interest. He also denied making any inflammatory statements during the protests and challenged anyone to provide evidence supporting such claims.
Responding to comments made by Mamata Banerjee, who suggested he might be acting on behalf of the BJP, Islam rejected the allegation, stating that it was made without proof.
So far, 19 individuals, including Islam, have been arrested in connection with the April 1 incident. During the protest, seven judicial officers were allegedly held hostage for approximately nine hours at the Kaliachak II Block Development Office in Malda. Among those present inside the premises was also a five-year-old child accompanying one of the officers. The officials had been assigned to review cases of voters placed under adjudication following the publication of the final Special Intensive Revision (SIR) list. They were eventually rescued by police around 1 am.
A widely circulated video from the protest shows Islam confronting senior administrative officials, including the district magistrate and superintendent of police, in a challenging tone. Despite this, sources within the West Bengal Police indicated that Islam’s name does appear in the final voter list.
The incident has intensified political tensions in the state ahead of elections. While the ruling Trinamool Congress has alleged that Islam is linked to the BJP, the Bharatiya Janata Party has countered by claiming that it maintains close connections with leaders from the ruling party, further escalating the political dispute.
