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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has once again launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, alleging large-scale irregularities and political bias. Speaking to the media while returning to Kolkata from Gangasagar on Tuesday, Mamata accused the ECI of using an app allegedly developed by the BJP’s IT cell, calling the entire process “illegal, unconstitutional, and undemocratic.”
“The app being used is created by the BJP IT cell. This is completely unlawful and against the Constitution,” the Chief Minister said. She alleged that the voter verification process has turned arbitrary and cruel, claiming that living voters are being declared dead, while elderly citizens are being forcibly brought for hearings despite serious health conditions. “They are showing living people as dead. Elderly citizens are being dragged with oxygen pipes in their noses. This cannot continue,” Mamata said.
Just 24 hours earlier, on Monday, Mamata Banerjee had raised similar concerns from the stage of the Gangasagar Bridge foundation stone-laying ceremony. There, she accused the Election Commission of harassing citizens in the name of hearings. According to her, nearly 5.4 million names have been deleted or flagged in the voter list without giving people a fair chance to submit correction forms. “People had the right to fill Form 7 and Form 8. Instead, they are being humiliated and intimidated,” she said, urging the Commission to introspect.
Mamata alleged that the SIR exercise has been carried out in a “systematic and arbitrary manner,” causing widespread distress among genuine voters across the state. She warned that such practices threaten the very foundation of democracy and could disenfranchise large sections of the population. Calling for public vigilance, she appealed to citizens to support one another during the verification process. “You don’t need to support me politically. Just stand by those who are suffering because of this process,” she said.
The Chief Minister also reiterated that she is prepared to move the court against the Election Commission, claiming that the SIR process has created fear, harassment, and administrative high-handedness. She went so far as to allege that the stress caused by these actions has led to hospitalisations and even deaths.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, dismissed Mamata Banerjee’s allegations outright. BJP spokesperson Debajit Sarkar termed her remarks “the cry of a defeated leader.” “Mamata Banerjee is not new to politics. She understands political reality very well. She knows that the Trinamool Congress is losing ground, and that fear is reflected in her statements,” he said.
On a separate note, Mamata Banerjee also reviewed preparations for the Gangasagar Mela, assuring devotees of adequate arrangements. She said sufficient hospital beds, doctors, ambulances, and transport facilities have been put in place. “Pilgrims will be able to travel using a single ticket. Everything has been arranged to ensure safety and convenience,” she added. Referring to the Left Front era, Mamata also pointed out that the Gangasagar pilgrimage tax was introduced during their rule and later abolished by her government.
As political tensions rise ahead of upcoming elections, the confrontation between the Trinamool Congress and the Election Commission over the SIR process is expected to intensify further.
