TMC's Abhishek Banerjee slams SIR as BJP's plot to 'select voters', warns of massive protest
Kolkata: TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday launched a fierce attack on the BJP and the EC over the announcement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bengal, alleging the exercise was designed to "exclude" genuine voters and tilt the political balance ahead of the 2026 state polls.
Describing the initiative as "Silent Invisible Rigging (SIR)", he claimed that it was designed to manipulate the electorate.
Claiming that the order for SIR was dictated by the ruling party at the Centre, Banerjee said, "The BJP's allied organisation has announced SIR yesterday. This process is not about inclusion but exclusion."
Accusing the BJP of subverting democratic norms, he said, "Earlier, people used to elect the government. Now, this BJP government wants to select who will vote or not."
The Diamond Harbour MP questioned why the EC was raising concerns about discrepancies in the voter list just 18 months after the Lok Sabha elections.
"If there are discrepancies in electoral rolls, then the Lok Sabha should be dissolved and fresh elections should be held," he said.
Banerjee, considered number two in the TMC, also dismissed the allegation that infiltration from Bangladesh and the entry of Rohingyas into Bengal necessitated the revision.
"Five Northeast states share borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. Then why is SIR being announced only in West Bengal citing presence of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas?" he asked.
Challenging the poll panel's timeline for the verification exercise, the TMC leader said, "In 2002, SIR was held in Bengal over a span of two years. How will the EC complete this mammoth task within one or two months?"
He alleged that the EC was seeking to "take control of the state administration so that the government can't function" ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
The TMC leader also held Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar responsible for the death of a man in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday morning allegedly due to panic over citizenship issues.
"Pradeep Kar a resident of Panihati died due to anxiety because of ongoing NRC threat and for this Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar are responsible. In his suicide note he has blamed anxiety over NRC and SIR as the reason. An FIR should be filed against them," he said.
Issuing a warning, Banerjee said, "If the name of a single eligible voter is eliminated from the voter list, then one lakh people from Bengal will hold dharna outside the EC office in New Delhi."
Despite his objections, he asserted that the TMC would only emerge stronger. "Despite this SIR, we will increase our seat tally in this election too. This is my challenge to BJP," Banerjee said.
