‘Will gherao ECI office if the name of any legitimate voter is deleted’

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday threatened to stage a gherao at the Election Commission office in Delhi if even one genuine name was removed from the electoral roll, arguing that democratic rights in Bengal were under threat due to the current SIR process.

Claiming that the SIR was a huge “scam” being conducted with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), Banerjee alleged that in the name of implementing SIR, ordinary citizens were being “harassed”. Describing the SIR as a deliberate move to weaken Bengali voters, Banerjee expressed apprehensions that there will be an attempt to remove up to 1.5 crore names, mostly from communities like Rajbanshis, Matuas and Adivasis. She was addressing a rally in Bankura’s Barjora.

AI is being used to remove names of 58 lakh voters from the draft electoral rolls, alleged Banerjee who also expressed her displeasure after the elderly citizens were being asked to appear for hearings. Banerjee said the people of the State will not tolerate such “harassment”. “People will not allow BJP to come to power in West Bengal,” she claimed.

“Elderly people are asked to appear for hearing. An elderly person died in Purulia. They (BJP) do not respect elderly people. If a single legitimate voter is removed, we will gherao the Election Commission office in Delhi,” Banerjee said adding “around 58-60 people died due to SIR. A monument will be set up in memory of those who died due to SIR in their respective district.”

Banerjee also questioned why the BLA2s will not be allowed during the hearing. “Why will BLA2s not be allowed during hearing? where is the rule?” Banerjee asked adding, “BLA2s are not allowed only because the BJP fails to engage BLA2s. Everything is done through WhatsApp and no official order.”

Banerjee also turned attention to alleged attacks on Bengali migrant workers in states ruled by other parties, including Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Trinamool Congress chief cited the case of 19-year-old labourer Jewel Sheikh, lynched in Sambalpur, Odisha, after being accused of being a Bangladeshi.

“If we wanted, we could have gheraoed Utkal Bhawan in Kolkata,” Banerjee said referring to the Odisha government’s guest house in the city. Banerjee cited the incident to claim that Bengalis were facing hostility outside the state.