Kolkata: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday shared a poem on social media criticising the alleged harassment of people during the ongoing SIR exercise in West Bengal.
Titled ‘Ami Aswikar Kori’ (I Refuse), the poem posted on Banerjee’s official social media handles voices dissent against the administrative framework overseeing the revision process, which the Trinamool Congress has claimed has caused inconvenience and distress to ordinary citizens.
"In the depths of my inner turmoil over an insidious process that has shattered lives and echoing the collective anguish, pain, and righteous fury of our people, I have channelled these emotions into a humble verse," the TMC national general secretary posted on X along with poem written in Bengali.
In the verses, the Diamond Harbour MP referred to himself as a "witness" to the alleged sufferings of people, citing instances of harassment and deaths purportedly linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive.
The poem employs strong political imagery and language to question the functioning of institutions, echoing the party's criticism of the exercise.
Party leaders said Banerjee's poem was intended to highlight the concerns of common voters and amplify what the TMC has described as irregularities in the revision process.
The ruling party in West Bengal has been alleging that the SIR exercise has led to widespread anxiety among residents over documentation and verification procedures.
Banerjee's literary intervention comes days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released multiple new books, including a poetry collection, at the recently concluded International Kolkata Book Fair, some of which also touched upon issues related to alleged harassment of people during administrative exercises.
Opposition parties, however, have dismissed the allegations and defended the revision as a routine electoral exercise aimed at ensuring accuracy of voter rolls.
Political observers view Banerjee's poem as part of the party's broader strategy to frame the SIR exercise as a people-centric issue ahead of the upcoming polls in the state.