New Delhi, Jul 28 (PTI) The BJP on Monday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of threatening state officials and asking them not to follow the Election Commission’s direction when a revision of electoral rolls takes place in the state.
This came after Banerjee directed the state government officials to ensure that people are not harassed during the electoral rolls revision and accused the BJP and EC of trying to remove genuine electors by targeting Bengali-speaking migrants, minorities, OBCs and the poor under the guise of cleaning the voter list.
Reacting sharply to the chief minister’s remarks, BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya accused Banerjee of “openly threatening” the officials to “shield her illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya vote bank” because she knows that her party, Trinamool Congress, will “collapse without bogus votes”.
“West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is now openly threatening Election Commission officials — saying they work for the state and shouldn’t follow directions from the National Election Commission,” he said in a post on X.
“Why this desperation? To shield her illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya vote bank. She’s brazenly opposing a clean, verified voter list because TMC’s survival depends on fake voters. Mamata Banerjee knows that without bogus votes, TMC will collapse,” Malviya alleged.
“This isn’t just political arrogance. It’s a direct assault on India’s Constitution and democracy,” the BJP leader charged.
In a recent letter, the Election Commission (EC) has told all the Chief Election Officers that after Bihar, the electoral roll revision will be started in all other states in the country.
Addressing an administrative review meeting at Gitanjali Stadium in Bolpur in Birbhum district on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked the EC over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
“The Election Commission takes over only after the poll dates are announced. Until then, and even after that, the administrative responsibility rests with the state. You are employees of the state government. Do not harass any individual needlessly,” she told booth-level officers (BLOs) present at the meeting.
Urging officials to ensure that no long-time voter is arbitrarily removed from the rolls, she said, “Suppose a boy goes on a vacation for four days, will you remove his name? Is that fair? There are people who’ve been voters in this state for years. Just because someone is away for a few days doesn’t mean you strike off their names.” The chief minister alleged that the ongoing exercise in Bihar, which she said could be replicated in West Bengal, is a “deliberate, politically motivated act” to exclude Bengali-speaking people and others deemed “undesirable”.
West Bengal will go to the polls next year. PTI PK PK RT RT
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