Sagar Islands: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced she would move the court in the backdrop of ‘harassment’ faced by the common people due to the ‘inhumane’ conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“If needed, I will go to the Supreme Court and plead for the people. I will speak for the people,” she said, recalling that she was legally trained.
Addressing a public distribution program at Sagar in South 24-Parganas, Banerjee alleged that fear, harassment and administrative arbitrariness linked to the exercise had led to deaths and hospitalisations.
She claimed that nearly 70 people had died during the process and several others had attempted suicide.
“This is a fight for existence. We are seeking legal help. So many people have died due to SIR. We are moving court tomorrow against the inhumane treatment and the death of so many people due to the SIR,” she said, adding that she was prepared to escalate the legal battle if necessary.
“The court opens tomorrow (Tuesday), and we will take all necessary legal steps. If required, I will seek permission from the Supreme Court to speak on behalf of the common people. I am a lawyer, but I will not appear in that capacity—I will speak as an ordinary citizen. I want to highlight what is happening at the grassroots level, the difficulties people are facing, and the harassment they are subjected to. No matter how hard the BJP tries, they will not succeed,” said Banerjee.
The Chief Minister Banerjee alleged a “technological conspiracy” where “artificial Intelligence and informal messaging platforms are being used as tools to disenfranchise millions of voters ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections” in the state.
“Artificial Intelligence has emerged now. Often, you’ll see it’s not me. But using my image and voice, they can spread many lies. There are fake videos. Use your own intelligence to discern what to accept and what to reject. There is no task in the world that the BJP cannot do. Remember, the names of 54 lakh names had already been struck off the electoral rolls,” she said.
She accused the BJP of using AI to remove names. “They had the right to fill out Form 7 and Form 8. Even if a murderer doesn’t get a lawyer, he can still defend himself. And here AI is deciding whose surname has changed, who got married, and which girl has gone to her in-laws’ house. Names have been removed using AI,” she maintained.
Banerjee claimed that the poll panel is being run on WhatsApp. “Who knows if they’ve bought WhatsApp or not… I’m sorry to say that people’s names are being removed from the voter list… If people’s rights are removed, you will vanish too. Keep this much in mind,” Banerjee said.
She claimed that the voter verification exercise was being enforced in a coercive manner, claiming that elderly citizens, some above 85 years of age and even those on oxygen support, along with pregnant women, were being summoned to prove their citizenship.
“After living in this country for decades, do Bengalis still need to prove that they are citizens?” she asked, adding that minor discrepancies such as spelling differences in English and Bengali language or surname changes after marriage, were allegedly leading to deletions, even when government-issued certificates were available.
Banerjee, who visited Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS) and offered prayers at Kapil Muni temple later in the day, claimed that the names of saints and social workers had also been removed.
Referring to the deletion of names of Swami Jitatmananda, alias Nemai Maharaj, of BSS Sagar Island, Banerjee termed the episode as unjust and alleged political interference in the issue, “If anyone is acting at the behest of the BJP, this injustice will not be tolerated,” she warned.
Nemai Maharaj said that he has been serving as a monk in BSS for 40 years and has been voting in Bengal for several years, but still, his name has been removed from the electoral rolls. “I have spoken with the district electoral officer, and I am hopeful that he will do the needful,” he said.
She urged everyone to check their names on the SIR draft list. “It might be a bit troublesome, but this is a struggle to protect your rights. This is a struggle for survival. One must survive in this struggle,” he added.
The Chief Minister further accused the BJP of insulting Bengal’s culture, language and icons, and of undermining welfare schemes. She asserted that Lakshmir Bhandar benefits for women would continue uninterrupted and warned that there would be no detention camps in Bengal.
“This is an election year. They are trying to create fear,” Banerjee said. “But remember, Bengal is the land of the Royal Bengal Tiger. If you provoke it, it will strike back,” she said.