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New Delhi: In a fiery address at an anti-Special Intensive Revision (SIR) rally in Bongaon, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government and the Election Commission (EC). The West Bengal CM accused them of a politically motivated electoral roll revision ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
Banerjee declared her love for Bangladesh due to shared language, but vehemently opposed any move to disenfranchise voters, warning, "I love Bangladesh as a country, because our language is the same. I am from Birbhum, but one day they will call me Bangladeshi. PM Modi got votes in 2024 as per the same list. If your name gets deleted, the central government should also be deleted."
The Chief Minister expressed strong reservations about the rushed nature of the SIR, emphasising that such an exercise should not be conducted in haste before the 2026 elections in the state.
She questioned the rationale behind the revision, particularly in light of claims that it aims to cleanse Bangladeshi nationals from the voter list. Banerjee pointed out the anomaly of the SIR being conducted in several BJP-ruled states, including Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, asking, "If Bangladeshi is a problem, then why are you conducting SIR in Madhya Pradesh and UP?"
She further challenged the premise, asking, "Does conducting SIR in BJP-ruled states imply the Centre accepts ‘ghuspaithiyas’ exist there?"
Banerjee's support for the revision was conditional, stating that her party would support the SIR if it were conducted over a period of "two-three years." However, she expressed no fear of the ruling party, asserting, "BJP cannot fight and defeat me politically."
She accused the Centre of weaponising the SIR to target specific voters. She pledged her unwavering support to the people, declaring, "Till I am here, I will not allow them to throw you out. Nobody can throw you out."
The Chief Minister's most pointed criticism was reserved for the Election Commission, which she declared has lost its impartiality and has transformed into a "BJP Commission." She expressed confidence that the public would soon recognise the "disaster" orchestrated by the EC and the BJP once the draft voter list is published following the SIR.
The current phase of the Special Intensive Revision, which has begun across 12 states and Union Territories, includes Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The Election Commission has set February 7, 2026, as the date for the final publication of the electoral roll. The first phase of the SIR was reportedly conducted in Bihar prior to its Assembly elections.
