Speaking on Thursday, Surya described the event as “the last nail on the TMC coffin” and blamed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for deliberately fostering “lawlessness and constitutional vacuum” in the state ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

Surya stated, “This is the end of the TMC rule. We are nearing the end of the TMC rule. And as it is said in Sanskrit, ‘Vinasha Kaale Vipreet Buddhi’. The activities of the TMC goons by attacking the judges, by attacking the constitutional functionaries who are doing their duty – the constitutional duty – will be the last nail on the TMC coffin.”

He criticised the TMC’s opposition to the SIR exercise, highlighting that it has been successfully conducted in many other states, including those not governed by the BJP. “Nowhere in any of the states have we seen or heard of news of judges who are in charge of SIR exercises being attacked. This shows the absolute lawlessness and the absolute constitutional vacuum that Mamata Banerjee and the TMC have deliberately created in West Bengal,” Surya said.

Expressing confidence in the BJP’s eventual success, Surya asserted that the people of West Bengal will remove the Banerjee-led government and restore the rule of law. He added, “Mamata Banerjee will answer this and more questions on the 4th of June, when the people of West Bengal will have given a very clear mandate for change. I have travelled to West Bengal many times. The people of West Bengal want change from the depths of their hearts. And this time in the elections, by giving a huge mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party, they will remove Mamata Banerjee, and the people themselves will re-establish the constitution and the rule of law in West Bengal.”

The comments follow the incident on Wednesday in which seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage by villagers in Malda district amid protests triggered by mass deletions in the electoral rolls during the ongoing SIR process. The protests led to the paralysing of Malda throughout the day, with demonstrators blocking roads across national and state highways and key rural routes in at least five Assembly constituencies.

The Supreme Court responded to the incident by describing it as a brazen and deliberate attempt to obstruct the administration of justice. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant expressed concern that despite prior notification, state authorities had failed to provide timely protection, leaving the officers without food or water for hours.

The court issued show-cause notices to senior state officials, including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, and Director-General of Police, demanding explanations for their inaction. It instructed the Election Commission to requisition and deploy adequate central forces to ensure the safety of judicial officers and the smooth conduct of the SIR adjudication process.

The bench also ordered strict security measures at all venues, limited public entry, an immediate threat assessment for the officers and their families, and compliance reports. It requested senior officials to be present virtually at the next hearing.