New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission after fresh polling was announced in Falta assembly constituency following reports of “serious electoral crimes and subversion of the democratic process” during the second phase of polling on April 29.Responding to BJP leader Amit Malviya’s social media post on Twitter, the TMC MP from Diamond Harbor challenged the “anti-Bangla Gujarati gang” to contest from Falta.Banerjee wrote in a social media post on Twitter, “Ten births will not be enough for your anti-Bangla Gujarati gang and their sycophant Gyanesh Kumar to make even a dent in my Diamond Harbor model. Bring everything you have. I challenge the entire Indian Union – come to Falta.”He said, “Send your strongest, send a godfather from Delhi. If you have the courage, contest the elections in Falta.”The Election Commission on Saturday announced re-polling in Falta on May 21, with counting taking place on May 24.BJP co-in-charge in West Bengal Amit Malviya had alleged that voters were prevented from choosing party candidates at several polling stations in Falta under Diamond Harbor constituency during the second phase of the assembly elections.The buttons were defaced with black masking tape and ink, affecting 60 out of 285 polling stations – 21% of the constituency. There were 53,967 voters (22.8% of 2.36 lakh voters) at these booths.“This compromised the integrity of the recorded votes and made it impossible to trace the mandate,” the EC said. The gaps in the video footage mean that similar acts of tampering elsewhere in Falta cannot be ruled out.This is the first time in Bengal where voting will take place in a full assembly constituency after the results are declared. Only Bihar got priority in India. The EC said that investigation into the complaints found large-scale tampering with EVMs at many booths.Meanwhile, tension spread in Hasimnagar, an area of ​​Falta along the Hooghly river corridor, where villagers alleged receiving threats from associates of TMC candidate Jahangir Khan.Police supervisor Ajaypal Sharma, a DIG who oversees the Diamond Harbor subdivision on the southern edge of the city, rushed to the area as residents complained of inaction.Security has been beefed up with the deployment of state police and central forces. The Election Commission later ordered the arrest of two of Khan’s associates, Israfil Chokdar and Sujauddin Shaikh. The counter order has removed Falta from Monday’s count, shifting focus to the remaining seats that will determine the next government.

People show their mobile phones during the nationwide trial of the new ‘Cell Broadcast Alert System’ in Patna on Saturday.

The phones started shouting. The screens lit up. A passenger lunged for the emergency chain. The theater audience froze. Patients grabbed chairs. Tensions are already running high in West Asia, with many fearing the worst as confusion spread across cities – before being relieved within minutes.Millions of users across India received an “extremely severe warning” around 11.45am on Saturday, which was repeated a few minutes later – part of a nationwide trial of a new cell broadcast-based disaster alert system.The message was clear: no action required. The reaction was anything but. During a children’s play at Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre, around 40 phones started ringing simultaneously, as startled families lined up for the performance. In a suburban train, a passenger tried to pull the emergency chain before others could intervene.

Phone sirens were annoying to some people and scary to others

In hospitals and clinics, alarms interrupt consultations, causing patients to panic.“I immediately switched off my phone thinking it was a bug,” said a resident of Bandra. A visitor to Borivali remembered people shivering from the cold. “It was annoying to some people and scary to others.”Similar scenes were seen in all the states. Before reading further, many people in Bhubaneswar were afraid of hacking or cyber attack.One resident said, “I thought my phone had been attacked, then felt relieved.” In Bengaluru, users mistook it for a heatwave or earthquake warning before clarity emerged. In Lucknow, a pharmacist said that several instruments started ringing simultaneously, causing a brief panic.In New Delhi, Kanika Sharma, a 29-year-old private school teacher, said the sudden movement during lunch sparked fears of global tension before she realized it was a drill. “The tension in West Asia was the first thing that came to my mind… this system could be useful in an emergency,” he said. Others described confusion over repeated alerts. Abhishek Dogra, a 33-year-old IT professional from Jasola in southeast Delhi, said his entire family’s phones rang simultaneously. He said, “At first we were worried, then realized it was a test. It’s a good step, but test messages should be clearly marked.”Officials later confirmed that it was a planned test by the National Disaster Management Authority and the Department of Telecommunications, marking the rollout of a real-time public warning system.Unlike SMS, cell broadcast technology sends alerts simultaneously to all devices within a defined area, overriding silent and do not disturb settings.It does not require any internet, apps or subscription.Alerts appear as full-screen pop-ups with a loud siren, temporarily halting other phone functions.Built on an indigenous platform called SACHET and aligned with the global warning protocol, the system is already operational in all states and union territories. Officials said it has enabled more than 134 billion SMS alerts so far in multiple languages ​​for weather and disaster warnings.Saturday’s drill was aimed at testing reach, speed and public reaction. To enhance understanding, messages were given in English and Hindi as well as regional languages. Not all devices received alerts highlighting the vulnerabilities. Some users reported that one phone was ringing while the other phone next to it was silent – ​​a reminder of the ongoing calibration. Officials said the system will be used for industrial hazards like earthquake, cyclone, flood, lightning and gas leakage. Geo-targeting will allow alerts tailored to specific districts or neighborhoods.In Bihar, officials are planning follow-up preparedness exercises, including blackout and civil defense exercises, later this month to build public familiarity. “This created awareness among the people,” said a senior official.(Input from New Delhi, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad)