Kerala BLO suicide: Congress blames CPI(M), seeks credible inquiry

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 17 Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, V.D. Satheesan, on Monday, alleged that CPI(M) workers had a direct role in the suicide of Booth Level Officer (BLO) Aneesh George in Payyanur, claiming that the official had come under severe pressure and threats linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Aneesh George, a BLO from Ettukudukka in Kannur district, was found hanging in his home on Sunday.

His family maintains that intense work pressure from the revision exercise caused his mental distress, a charge that was quickly denied by the Kannur District Collector, Arun K. Vijayan.

Satheesan demanded a “serious and credible inquiry” into the incident and urged the Election Commission to examine complaints raised by BLOs across the state regarding excessive workload.

"CPI(M) leaders and workers had allegedly threatened the BLO after he reportedly brought a Congress Booth Level Agent (BLA) along for SIR-related verification work. Combined with the workload -- the BLOs having to visit each household up to three times and handle 700 to 1,500 voters per booth -- these pressures pushed the officer to extreme distress,” said Satheesan.

He added that a large number of BLOs are women and have repeatedly conveyed their inability to meet the current work targets.

“Both the CPI(M) and BJP were attempting to misuse the SIR to prevent UDF-leaning voters from being added to the rolls. Attempts to “derail fair electoral procedures” would be challenged politically and legally,” added Satheesan.

Meanwhile, state Congress president and legislator Sunny Joseph said the death of George has been shocking, and it has surfaced that the CPI(M) in the area was in threatening mode, and the need of the hour was for a crystal-clear probe which would bring out the truth.

“We fully support the protest that has been launched by the BLOs,” said Joseph.

Veteran CPI(M) leader E.P.Jayarajan, who hails from Kannur, said it was only the Congress party that could level such "baseless allegations, and they will go to any extent to distort the truth to target the CPI(M)".

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