‘An accident or calculated attempt to make crucial evidence vanish’: TMC asks EC after Kolkata fire guts 4,000 EVMs
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday raised serious questions after around 4,000 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were gutted in a fire that broke out at
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday raised serious questions after around 4,000 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were gutted in a fire that broke out at a government building in Kolkata's Alipore area. Describing the incident as "mysterious", the party demanded answers from the Election Commission of India (ECI). In a statement shared on X, the TMC claimed that the fire destroyed 4,000 control units, 4,000 ballot units and 4,000 VVPAT machines. According to the party, the EVMs were linked to several Assembly constituencies, including Kasba, Jadavpur, Behala East, Behala West, Metiaburuz, Satgachia and other segments under the Diamond Harbour subdivision. Questioning the circumstances surrounding the blaze, former West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's party alleged that the Election Commission could not continue to “hide behind planted narratives forever”. The TMC also pointed out that judicial intervention had previously been sought to preserve EVMs and CCTV footage, asking how such an incident could have occurred despite those efforts. The party further suggested that the destruction of the machines warranted a deeper investigation.
Raising concerns over the possibility of foul play, the TMC asked whether the fire was merely an accident or “a calculated attempt to make crucial evidence vanish after tampering with Democracy itself.” “@ECISVEEP cannot keep hiding behind planted narratives forever. Judicial intervention was previously sought to preserve EVMs and CCTV footage. Then how can such incidents happen? Was this merely an accident…or a calculated attempt to make crucial evidence vanish after tampering with Democracy itself?” TMC said. 'It does not appear to be a normal fire': WB minister West Bengal minister Kaushik Chowdhury on Thursday said that nearly 4,000 EVMs were destroyed in a fire that engulfed a government building in Kolkata. The police have initiated an investigation into the incident after registering an FIR. The blaze erupted on Wednesday at a nine-storey government complex in the Alipore area of south Kolkata. In addition to housing several government departments, the building also accommodated the office of the South 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad. "Around 4,000 EVMs were destroyed in the fire.
Those EVMs were used in 10 constituencies during this year's assembly elections in the state," PTI quoted the minister of state for fire and emergency services. “It does not appear to be a normal fire. We are examining whether there was any sabotage. It is still not clear how the fire reached the ninth and tenth floors,” Chowdhury stated after taking stock of the situation at the site. According to the minister, the fire was initially detected on the second and third floors of the building. "How did it reach the seventh and eighth floors without affecting the fourth, fifth and sixth floors? The entire matter is under investigation," the minister told reporters. Chowdhury said authorities were awaiting the forensic report, which is expected to provide greater clarity on the cause and spread of the fire. Meanwhile, firefighting operations continued nearly 24 hours after the blaze first broke out. Although no visible flames were seen on Thursday morning, officials said the risk of isolated pocket fires remained and could not be completely ruled out.
"There are pocket fires inside the building, and they need to be doused. The cooling process is on," the fire department official mentioned. Also Read | Trouble for TMC rebel Ritabrata Banerjee? Calcutta HC questions his LoP status The South 24 Parganas district administration has submitted a formal complaint to Alipore Police Station, requesting a detailed investigation into the fire incident. The complaint was lodged by the district's Additional District Magistrate (ADM), following which police registered an FIR and initiated a probe. Investigating officers are exploring multiple possibilities, including an electrical malfunction and other potential causes behind the blaze. However, officials said no definitive reason for the fire has been identified at this stage. Authorities have cordoned off the building and restricted entry as investigators examine the unusual manner in which the fire spread across several floors. Security and surveillance measures around the premises have also been intensified.
The BriefWire