KOLKATA: A Special Roll Observer's (SRO) car was attacked at Sirakol in South 24 Parganas district on Monday.

The attack took place hardly 24 hours after Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), asked his party’s Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to ensure that not a single bona fide voter’s name was removed from the final electoral rolls following the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The vehicle of C Murugan, an IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre appointed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) as SRO, was attacked by a group of agitating women this afternoon while he was coming out of a hearing camp near the office of a Block Development Officer (BDO). The handle lock of the car was badly damaged during the incident.

The agitators, mostly women, were protesting against the ongoing SIR exercise and the Centre’s decision to withhold funds for the job guarantee scheme under MGNREGA. They slapped the vehicle and prevented it from leaving the area. Police managed to bring the situation under control after about half an hour.

The incident took place in the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by Abhishek Banerjee.

“I will not be cowed down by any kind of agitation as an IAS officer. The Election Commission has assigned me this responsibility, and I will carry out its instructions,” Murugan told reporters at the spot.