Kolkata, 04 November (H.S.). — West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a fierce attack on the BJP-led Centre and the Election Commission, accusing them of “misusing” the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to target legitimate voters in the state.

Addressing a large protest rally in Kolkata, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief warned that if even a single eligible voter’s name was removed from the list, the fall of the central government would be “inevitable”.

Banerjee claimed that the SIR exercise was being aggressively conducted only in opposition-ruled states, while BJP-governed states had been kept outside its purview. “Why is SIR not happening in Assam, Tripura or other Northeastern states where the BJP is in power?” she questioned.

She further alleged that the 2002 SIR exercise in Bengal took nearly two years to complete, whereas this time the Election Commission was trying to finish the revision within just one month. This, she said, clearly indicated “a politically motivated and hurried exercise”.

Accusing the BJP of attempting to brand Bengali-speaking citizens as infiltrators, Banerjee said, “Speaking Bengali does not make someone Bangladeshi. The BJP is maligning Bengalis through fake narratives and communal propaganda.”

She also questioned the credibility of the SIR process, remarking, “If the voter list is so flawed, how did the BJP manage to win previous elections using the same rolls?”

Calling the revision drive a form of “silent invisible rigging”, Banerjee alleged that the ruling party at the Centre was trying to create fear among ordinary voters.

“Are we expected to prove our citizenship again after living here since birth?” she asked, as crowds raised slogans in support.

Banerjee vowed that the TMC would take the fight to Delhi if citizens’ rights were undermined. Party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee also participated in the massive protest demonstrating opposition to the ongoing SIR exercise in West Bengal.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh