‘Arrogant CEC insulted and humiliated us’, says Mamata
Delhi/Kolkata: Accusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of “parroting” the ruling BJP’s line, Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairman Mamata Banerjee alleged that she was “insulted and humiliated” by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar during their meeting on Monday.
Speaking to the media after her meeting with Kumar, Banerjee accused him of being “arrogant” and a “liar”, saying that despite having interacted with several CECs in the past, she had never encountered an officer with such an attitude.
“We will see them on the ground. We do not expect anything from the Election Commission, which has become a ‘His Master’s Voice’ of the
BJP and is acting on its instructions. As long as he (read Kumar) remains in the post, it will be dangerous for democracy,” she said.
When asked about her next course of action in Delhi, Banerjee said she would announce her plan on Tuesday after consultations with her party. Wearing black shawls in protest against
the SIR and alleged harassment in its name, Mamata, along with a 155-member TMC delegation and some SIR-affected families, met the Chief Election
Commissioner and placed a set of demands. She was also accompanied by the party’s national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP, Abhishek Banerjee.
After meeting the CEC, Mamata also added that she had reminded him of the
dignity of the institution while questioning what she called the selective targeting of
West Bengal.
“We told them that we respect the institution because no chair is permanent for anyone, but they should not create such a dangerous precedent,” Banerjee said, asking: “Why is only Bengal being targeted? Elections are a festival of democracy.”
The party boycotted the meeting after being insulted and humiliated by the Election Commission, claimed Mamata. “Will the Election Commission choose the government before the election... We are watching. You have the power of the BJP. We have the power of the people. They have insulted us, humiliated us,” she stated.
“CEC spoke with a certain attitude. He behaved badly and treated us poorly. I told him that we came seeking justice but did not receive any; instead, he is committing injustice and spreading lies. His briefings in response to our queries are all junk, all lies. We submitted five letters, and he did not respond to a single one,” she said.
The Bengal Chief Minister also questioned the demand for ancestral documents and said such requirements were unrealistic and discriminatory.
“If we were to ask senior leaders like Advani ji to provide his parents’ dates of birth, would he be able to do so? I respect Advani ji and ask him whether he can provide the birth certificates of his father and mother. This is a mismatch, a mismap, and unparliamentary,” Banerjee said, alleging serious flaws in the SIR process. She also asked if the Prime Minister has the institutional delivery certificates of his father and mother.
Alleging that more than 150 people died, including the BLOs, due to this SIR, Mamata further stated: “I have brought 100 people with me. There are some of them who have been declared dead in the voters’ list, but they are alive and present here. Around 2 crore people’s names have been removed from the voters’ list. I can bring lakhs of people here in Delhi, and I can parade them in front of anybody.” She also alleged that the revision exercise disproportionately impacted marginalised communities.
“If this exercise was really necessary, why was it not done earlier? Why not since 2002?” Banerjee asked. “You have a BJP government in Assam. You didn’t do SIR in Assam, but you did it in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.”
Meanwhile, Abhishek submitted a memorandum to the CEC on Monday, placing certain demands which include immediate withdraw all hearing notices issued under the “Logical Discrepancy” category to electors whose names are already mapped to the 2002 electoral rolls and who have submitted requisite documents, and ensure that no such elector is disenfranchised on technical or trivial grounds.
The demands also include the abandonment of the “Logical Discrepancy” framework, ceasing the unlawful interference of Micro-Observers in quasi-judicial decision-making, restoration of exclusive statutory authority to EROs and AEROs under the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
“Direct EROS and AEROS to initiate criminal and disciplinary action against individuals and organisations responsible for forged signatures, mass Form 7 submissions, impersonation, and the filing of objections through non-residents and outsiders,” reads the memorandum.
Earlier in the day, TMC Chairperson Mamata and her party’s national general secretary Abhishek held an interaction with the SIR-affected families at the Banga Bhawan at Delhi’s Hailey Road. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, including Saket Gokhale, Dola Sen, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Bapi Haldar, meanwhile, rushed to different locations in the national capital where the SIR-impacted families were staying.
