Suvendu claims 1.25 cr illegal immigrants in West Bengal's voters' list, TMC says submit names

Kolkata: Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday claimed that there are 1.25 crore illegal immigrants in the voters' list of West Bengal, and all of them will be sent back following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the rolls.

Addressing a programme in Tamluk in Purba Medinipur district, Adhikari maintained that Hindus who migrated due to religious persecution need not be worried about the exercise.

"If around 50 lakh names were excluded in Bihar, Bengal could have as many as 1.25 crore such names. All Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in West Bengal will be pushed back after the SIR," he said.

"No one will be able to save the chief minister this time. All the looting and corruption will come to an end. The instances of false voting will reduce. Those who used to cast false votes will be weeded out," he added.

Adhikari "warned" government officers to act with integrity, and said district-level officers who fail to do so will be in trouble.

The ruling TMC rejected his comments as communal rhetoric, "aimed at polarising voters ahead of elections".

"Can he genuinely identify such a massive number? Has Suvendu Adhikari ever seen a Rohingya or knows what language they speak?" TMC spokesperson Debangshu Bhattacharya asked, challenging the BJP to submit the list of 1.25 crore illegal immigrants to the EC.

He claimed the SIR was aimed at removing supporters of opposition parties from the voters' list.

"This impacts both Hindus and Muslims. In Bihar, many Yadavs who vote for RJD are being struck off the rolls. Now they want to try the same in Bengal, but it won't work," he said.

"Bengalis, both Hindu and Muslim, are united by their language and identity," he added.