TMC threatens to gherao EC office if any ‘genuine voter’s name is deleted’

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday said that a massive movement will be organised outside the office of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in Delhi if even one genuine voter’s name is removed while implementing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Speaking at a Press conference on Monday, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh made it clear that the party would not remain silent if a single genuine voter’s name is removed during the process.

“We welcome this initiative by the Election Commission. But if even one genuine voter’s name is removed, we will certainly protest,” Ghosh said, reinforcing the party’s stance on protecting voters’ rights. Ghosh threatened to surround the EC’s Delhi office with one lakh party workers if a genuine voter’s name is removed’.

Reacting to the announcement by the ECI on Monday that Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls will be conducted in 12 States and Union Territories, including West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress warned against any attempt to manipulate voter lists. Ghosh also took a dig at the BJP, accusing the party of attempting to provoke unrest around the SIR process.

“The BJP will try to create provocation around the SIR process. I urge the people of Bengal not to fall for such provocations. Trinamool does not, under any circumstances, support violence,” he emphasised.

Meanwhile, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya on SIR said that the names of fake voters and illegal muslim immigrants from Bangladesh who have become consolidated vote banks of Trinamool Congress will be removed when the SIR will be implemented. Nobody in a civilized society would expect that a political party would oppose a constitutional process, Bhattacharya added.

“Even the Trinamool Congress veteran MP Sougata Roy has welcomed the process. If there is any attempt to stop the SIR process, it is for the custodian of the Constitution to look into the matter,” he stated further.

“We, on behalf of our party, are submitting the names of fake voters to the ECI,” added Bhattacharya.