‘You can cut my throat, not voters’ names: Mamata

Darjeeling: “Like notebandi (demonetisation), SIR is ‘votebandi’ (snatching people’s rights to vote),” claimed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, while asserting that she would protect the rights of voters at any cost, even if it meant her “throat getting slashed” for protesting against the exercise.

Urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to immediately stop the SIR, she asserted that unless the exercise was executed flawlessly with every genuine voter finding a place in the final rolls, its implementation in Bengal would not be as easy as it was in Bihar.

The Chief Minister, on a visit to Siliguri, claimed that the ECI is harassing the people by pushing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and trying to complete it in two months in Bengal. She stated that there should be a stay on SIR.

“They could have taken two years — a proper survey or population census could have been conducted. Why this sudden SIR, and that too just before the Assembly elections in Bengal? Why this hurry?” questioned Banerjee.

She alleged that the Centre’s actions reflected a lack of self-confidence, saying: “They are using agencies and BJP’s muscle power to push this through. But what will happen when your government falls?”

Banerjee further asked who would take responsibility for the deaths caused by such a “faulty policy”, declaring firmly: “Bengal will never forgive you.”

She also asked why SIR is not being implemented in Assam, out of the four poll-bound states. “Why this discrimination? All this is just because they cannot defeat us. You could do it in Bihar because there was no one to catch you. However, Bengal is different. We will catch you.” cautioned Banerjee.

She stated that Union minister Amit Shah talks of infiltrators in Bihar. “Your Government is in Bihar. All the agencies, the border, and the security forces are under you. Then how did the infiltrators manage to enter Bihar? You all have no moral right to continue in their constitutional posts,” stated Banerjee. Making an oblique remark that the ECI was dancing to the ruling party’s tune, Banerjee stated: “ECI should not run on the words of BJP, it should run on the words of the public. Who are you to decide who the genuine voters are or not? First, you have to take care of genuine voters. You cannot bulldoze genuine voters. You cannot bulldoze democracy,” said Banerjee.

She added that while people are crying, the BJP is laughing. “There will be a day when BJP will cry, and people will have a laugh. All this is a deliberate attempt to malign people. The short time is a ploy so that people struck out cannot get their names in. Government officials can’t work as there are just two months until the election is scheduled to be declared in February,” stated Banerjee.

The Chief Minister stated that the BJP government had earlier announced that all those who had come in before March 1971 would be treated as Indians.

“Later, they stated that all those who came in before 2024 would be considered Indians. But I have strong doubts that their names are being included in the rolls. The BJP is running CAA camps. They cannot do this. It’s illegal. They are even accepting money for giving citizenship,” alleged Banerjee, bringing up the Matua issue.

Talking of political retribution, Banerjee stated: “You can send your agencies after me; you can take away my voting rights; you might even kill me. I don’t care. Remember, tomorrow you might not be in the chair. Then what?” Banerjee also rebutted Darjeeling MP Raju Bista’s allegations that the Bengal Government is sitting on critical funds and are refusing to deploy even a single paise towards helping the people of Darjeeling hills, Terai, Dooars, and the rest of the North Bengal region. “We have stopped asking the Government of India for funds. In the past also we had also requested the Government of India for funds during floods, landslides and cyclones. However, we did not receive a single penny. All the relief and rehabilitation has been done from the state coffers,” stated Banerjee. She stated that people were being misled.

For July 2021 to August 2021, Rs 1288.44 crore was sought from the Centre for landslides, floods; for September 2021 to October 2021 Rs 1402.08 crore was sought as special assistance for the same; for the 04-10-2023 Rs 181.31 crore was sought for the extensive damage caused by the GLOF in Sikkim; for May 26 and 27 damages by Cyclone Remal Rs 1049.89 crore was requested and for September 2024 landslide, flood and river erosion Rs 1049.89 crore and for severe Cyclone Dana Rs 1685.01 crore special assistance was requested by the Bengal Government. “However, we received nothing. So we have stopped asking,” added the Chief Minister.