Hooghly, 11 January (H.S.): Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur arrived in Chuchura on Sunday to attend the annual programme of the Matua Sangha. During the event, she spoke openly on a range of issues, from state politics to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, and launched a scathing attack on the BJP.

Speaking to the media, Mamata Bala Thakur said that there is deep concern within the Matua community regarding the SIR. She alleged that the BJP is giving contradictory statements at different times, creating an atmosphere of confusion and fear among the Matua people. She said, The Matua people are afraid, wondering whether they will be able to live in this country or not, and whether they will get the right to vote.

Targeting the BJP over the SIR, the MP said that common people are suffering because of this process. She claimed that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are dying due to excessive work pressure, and even Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has been summoned for an SIR hearing. According to her, people from the Matua community who came from Bangladesh are extremely apprehensive about this situation.

Referring to the CAA, Mamata Bala Thakur said that the Supreme Court has already clarified that merely applying under the CAA does not automatically grant citizenship or the right to vote. She alleged that the people of the country are being misled through false promises.

She also said that she has requested the Election Commission to make Aadhaar cards mandatory so that the names of deceased voters can be removed from the list. However, she alleged that legitimate voters are being declared illegal. She termed this government illegal.

Raising the issue of alleged deaths due to the SIR, Mamata Bala Thakur questioned who will take responsibility for these lives—the Election Commission or Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

In her statement, Mamata Bala Thakur also targeted BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. She said that on one hand, Sukanta Majumdar is saying that it doesn't matter even if the names of one lakh Matua voters are removed, while on the other hand, Suvendu Adhikari is claiming that not a single Matua voter's name will be removed. She questioned how long the BJP would continue to mislead people with false promises.

Mamata Bala Thakur said that, like Abhishek Banerjee and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, she also has a clear stance: if the name of any legitimate voter is removed under the Special Summary Revision (SSR), they will fight in Delhi. She said that there is no alternative to an organized struggle to change the law.

Finally, giving a message to the Matua community, she said that there is no need to panic regarding the SSR. Keep all the necessary documents correct and ready. If the documents are complete, there is no reason to be afraid.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey