New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is in the national capital as part of her intensified campaign against the ongoing SIR in her state, on Tuesday called for the impeachment of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and sought to rally support from other opposition parties on the issue.
Banerjee’s remarks came a day after she along with her delegation walked out of a meeting with Kumar and other election commissioners here on the SIR issue and alleged that the poll panel chief displayed arrogance and humiliated them.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, flanked by scores of people from West Bengal who have allegedly been affected by the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Banerjee claimed the electors whose names were being deleted from the roll are supporters of her party.
Responding to a question on whether the TMC supports Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s idea of bringing a law with retrospective effect to hold the CEC accountable, Banerjee said, “We also want him (Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar) to be impeached”.
“We don’t have numbers, but there is a provision. It would be recorded. If they (Congress) do something like this, we will also discuss with our party MPs. When there is public interest, we work together,” she said.
She also made it clear that her party would fight the upcoming state polls alone, and challenged the BJP to face them in the election rather than “using” the EC.
Banerjee alleged that the names being deleted in West Bengal are largely of TMC supporters. “100 per cent are TMC deletions… One or two maybe of other parties for face saving…,” she alleged.
Claiming that those impacted by the SIR exercise are mostly Dalits, tribals, minorities and other marginalised groups, she said, “In my state, there are 23 per cent SC, 6 per cent tribes, 33 per cent Muslims, shall I say get out from my state?” “Where are we going? Are we going to start a super emergency in Bengal… all India? Only Bengal they cannot control. All leaders from different districts are in Bengal, all agencies are sitting in Bengal. They are disturbing people, from industry to traders, to politicians and commoners… But sometimes we forget, chairs are not permanent but people are permanent in democracy,” she said.
Banerjee, who had launched a fresh tirade against the CEC after the Monday meeting, said, “Whatever we ask, he never replied, he was threatening us.” “We expected humbleness, we are very humble, we even took flowers and sweets. We conveyed our regards to them, but the way they behaved with us, we boycotted them,” she said.
Referring to the “victims” of the SIR process who were present with her at the press conference, the Trinamool Congress chief said they represented many others who suffered due to the exercise.
“People sitting behind us are all SIR victims. I could have brought lakhs of people here,” Banerjee said.
“They are not giving an opportunity to SIR victims to defend themselves,” the TMC supremo alleged.
Questioning the timing of the SIR, Banerjee on Tuesday asked why the exercise was being conducted on the eve of assembly elections.
She also questioned why the exercise was being conducted in only poll-bound states ruled by the opposition and not in BJP-ruled Assam.
“Out of four election-bound states, they’re doing SIR in three states and not in BJP-ruled Assam,” she said.
“Why is SIR being done on the eve of the election. Is it possible to do it within 2-3 months without any planning,” she asked.
Banerjee has also filed a plea against the SIR in the Supreme Court, which is already hearing petitions on the issue by her party leaders and others. PTI AO SKC RT
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