New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sagarika Ghose on Monday called the deaths of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) linked to the alleged work pressure of the Special Intensive Revision as a “humanitarian tragedy.”
On the first day of the winter session on Monday, the Opposition walked out of the Rajya Sabha over the demand for an immediate debate on the SIR issue. “What is happening at the moment is a humanitarian tragedy. Forty people have lost their lives in Bengal. BLOs are committing suicide. The Election Commission has blood on its hands,” she said, speaking to the media outside Parliament.
“BLOs are under tremendous pressure and giving up their lives. In this situation, it is urgent that Parliament does not stay silent and discusses electoral reforms and the entire electoral process under pressure. People are suffering,” the former journalist said.
Earlier in the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had asserted in the Rajya Sabha that the government is not against holding a discussion on SIR or electoral reforms, as he asked the Opposition not to insist on setting a timeline.
Not satisfied with the minister's response, members of several opposition parties staged a walkout from the Upper House.
In recent weeks, several BLOs have allegedly taken their own lives, citing excessive workload and pressure from senior officials. The incidents have fuelled a political storm as voter roll revision continues across 12 states, including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.
