Mamata demands Prime Minister’s resignation over SIR; says women voters being ‘Pushed Out’

Kolkata: On the third day of her sit-in protest at Dharmatala, TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, demanding his resignation and alleging that the process threatens democratic rights. Addressing supporters from the dharna stage, Banerjee alleged that the SIR exercise has led to the exclusion of thousands of genuine voters from the electoral rolls. “On International Women’s Day I must remind you that because of this SIR, thousands of women’s names have now been removed from the list. BJP is misogynistic. They are against women,” she said, accusing the BJP of undermining women’s participation in democracy. The Trinamool Congress supremo also claimed the revision process was politically motivated and aimed at disenfranchising voters ahead of upcoming elections. Banerjee also questioned the role of the Election Commission of India, urging it to ensure that no eligible voter is deprived of their democratic rights. According to her, several complaints have already been submitted to the poll body, highlighting alleged irregularities in the revision process.

Meanwhile, senior leader Shashi Panja criticised the Centre over the recent LPG price hike from the dharna stage, saying the increase has put an additional burden on households. She said the rising price of cooking gas directly affects women who manage family kitchens and makes it difficult for ordinary families to cope with daily expenses. Another senior leader, Chandrima Bhattacharya, also alleged that large numbers of women voters have been removed from the rolls during the SIR process.

“Women voters are being pushed out of the electoral list. This is unacceptable and a direct attack on their democratic rights,” she said while backing the Chief Minister’s protest. Reiterating her stance, Banerjee said the movement would continue until the alleged discrepancies are corrected and every genuine voter’s name is restored in the electoral rolls.