The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday launched a sharp attack against the West Bengal government and chief minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her administration of intimidating Election Commission of India (ECI) officials involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Speaking to reporters, BJP spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan alleged that Banerjee was engaging in political appeasement by “turning infiltrators into vote banks”.
“If Mamata Banerjee believes she can threadbare the Constitution using her goon, then it cannot be possible here. We have seen the record of your Jungle Raj and violence,” he said.
According to the BJP, booth-level officers (BLOs) are being pressured and discouraged by the state government from following the directives of the ECI regarding the SIR exercise. The party claimed, “There have been reports of a bunch of nurtured goons threatening the BLOs, impeding their constitutional work.”
The accusations came a day after Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, warning that the situation in the state had reached an “alarming stage” due to what she called an “unplanned, chaotic and dangerous” SIR. She alleged that extreme pressure on officials had led to the deaths of several BLOs, and that fear of punitive action was compelling others to “submit incorrect or incomplete entries, risking disenfranchisement of genuine voters and eroding the integrity of the electoral rolls.”
Banerjee urged the CEC to halt the exercise, writing, “I would request you to kindly intervene decisively to halt the ongoing exercise, stop coercive measures, provide proper training and support, and thoroughly reassess the present methodology and timelines. If this path is not corrected without delay, the consequences, for the system, the officials, and the citizens, will be irreversible.”
The Trinamool Congress has claimed that 28 deaths have occurred in connection with SIR-related fears, along with two suicides by BLOs allegedly due to stress. The state government has argued that the hurried manner in which the SIR was being implemented contributed to the pressure on officials.
Responding to Banerjee’s letter, the BJP said she had no authority to criticise the Election Commission, pointing to the smooth conclusion of the SIR in Bihar. Paswan argued, “If the SIR is taking place smoothly in other states, then who is Mamata Banerjee to impede the constitutional process in the state?”
He also referred to reports of individuals intercepted while allegedly crossing the India-Bangladesh border amid fears over the SIR. According to him, “This proves that the Mamata Banerjee government had turned the infiltrators into vote banks. This is an extreme case of political appeasement.”
Paswan urged the ECI to ensure uninterrupted conduct of the SIR in West Bengal. “If there is a need then deploy security forces in the state and embolden the administrative machinery,” he said.
