Malda, April 2 -- A major political storm erupted in West Bengal after seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage by villagers in Malda district on April 1, triggering sharp exchanges between the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

The incident, linked to alleged mass deletions from electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, drew strong reactions from BJP leaders, with Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar blaming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the situation and welcoming the Supreme Court's cognisance of the matter.

The BJP termed the Malda incident "shocking" and alleged a breakdown of the law and order situation.

Majumdar questioned whether th...