Won’t let anyone take away people’s voting rights till I am alive: Mamata

Kolkata: Calling the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre a “selfish giant with high-loaded virus” acting out of “Himalayan incompetence”, Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that Central funds to her state were stopped only out of “jealousy” despite Bengal emerging number 1 in several development parameters.

Addressing a rally in Kolkata to mark Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad’s (TMCP) foundation day, Banerjee made a startling claim that the BJP has deployed over 500 teams from across the country in Bengal to conduct surveys aimed at deleting names of voters from the electoral rolls. Asserting that her government will thwart all conspiracies related to Special Intensive Revision (SIR), she added that she would not let anyone take away people’s voting rights.

“You must yourself check whether your names are still there or have been struck off from the voters’ list. You must ensure you have Aadhaar cards. I will not let anyone take away people’s voting rights till I am alive,” Banerjee told the rally. She urged the voters: “Do not give your details if anyone comes to your house for surveys. They will use that data to delete your name from the voters’ list. Instead, check directly with the polling centres.”

Banerjee, without directly naming the poll panel, once again alleged that the Election Commission (EC) was intimidating state government officers. “The EC is threatening our officers — DMs, SDOs, BDOs. Its jurisdiction is only for the three months during elections, not throughout the year,” she claimed. She again alleged that the EC’s SIR exercise was an attempt to implement NRC through the back door.

“I respect the office of the EC, but you know, lollipops only suit children. If adults start taking lollipops on behalf of one party, it does not look good,” Banerjee, in reference to the poll panel, also added: “In the past, the ECI never acted on the instruction of a political party,” she added.

“We will not tolerate any muscle flexing. We, too, have your Pandora’s box. We will expose your corruption if you push us to,” Banerjee said in her apparent attack at the Centre. Thundering on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Banerjee said: “Listen, lollipop babu, we know which of your family members are IAS and IPS officers in different states and through whom you are wielding this lollipop mechanism for the BJP.

She also alleged that the BJP was trying to make people forget the role played by Bengalis during the freedom movement. She also referred to the series of incidents of attacks on migrant workers from Bengal in BJP-ruled states. “If there is no Bengali language, then in which language are the national anthem and national song written? They want people to forget the historical role played by Bengalis in the freedom movement.” Further sharpening the attack on the BJP, Banerjee said: “Their predecessors were agents of the British who gave undertakings to get out of jails.” She also attacked the CPI(M), whom she always refers to as the B-team of the BJP, saying: “The CPI(M) government in Kerala is teaching in books that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose fled the country in fear of the British. We condemn this. It is our eternal sorrow that Netaji left his Elgin Road house, never to return home. We don’t know his death day. Those who say Netaji fled in fear of the British have no right to remain in politics.”

Giving an account on the state’s development, she said her government was able to bring 1.72 crore people out of poverty line between 2013 and 2023, and the revenue increased nearly 5.5 times since 2011. “Around 53 lakh students were given smartphones and tablets under the ‘Taruner Sapna’ scheme, while 1.38 crore students received bicycles. As much as Rs 69,000 crore was spent on the development of infrastructure in Education. Around 92,000 students have benefited from the Students’ credit cards.

Meanwhile, taking to X, Mamata Banerjee wrote: “On the Foundation Day of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, I bow to the indomitable spirit of Bengal’s students and youth. From time immemorial, it is the youth who have lit the path of civilization with the power of knowledge and courage. In Bengal today, it is they who stand as the vanguard of progress, the conscience of society, and the torchbearers of tomorrow. Since 2011, our Ma-Mati-Manush Sarkaar has devoted itself to empowering the next generation. Initiatives like Kanyashree, Aikyashree, Sikshashree, Sabooj Sathi, Student Credit Card, and Taruner Swapno have transformed countless lives, while the establishment of new institutions has made Bengal a beacon of educational excellence for the nation...”