Mamata Banerjee vs SIR: Why ‘kitchen tools’ have entered West Bengals political battle

Kolkata: The political confrontation over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in West Bengal has intensified, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pulling everyday kitchen tools into the heart of the debate. Her sharp remarks at a rally in Krishnagar have turned household utensils into unexpected symbols of resistance, reflecting the Trinamool Congress’s growing alarm over what it views as politically motivated voter roll alterations.

Banerjee urged women to challenge any attempt to delete their names from the electoral register, framing the SIR exercise as an assault on their democratic rights. "You will snatch the rights of mothers and sisters in the name of SIR? They will bring police from Delhi during the election and intimidate mothers and sisters... Mothers and sisters, if your names are struck off, you have the tools, right? The tools you use during cooking," she told supporters, arguing that women must stand at the "front” of the fight.

Her remarks come amid rising tension between the state government and the BJP, which she accused of leveraging the SIR to tilt the political landscape ahead of the polls. "Whenever the election comes, the BJP tries to use money and bring people from other states to divide people," she alleged, while insisting she remained committed to secular politics.

Banerjee also criticised the public mass recitation of the Bhagavad Gita held in Kolkata, saying faith should not be used for political mobilisation. "Gods stay in the heart... Dharma means purity, humanity, peace, and not violence, discrimination, and division," she said.

Positioning herself as a defender of Bengal’s inclusive heritage, Banerjee invoked figures such as Swami Vivekananda and Rabindranath Tagore, arguing they never sowed division. She also framed lifestyle choices as a form of personal liberty. "You will decide if you want to eat fish and meat... Who will eat veg and who will non-veg is a personal choice," she said.

Her rhetoric sharpened further as she described the TMC as an "injured tiger”, warning that the party would not back down. "If you attack us, we know how to retaliate," she declared, accusing the BJP of planning elections based on lists prepared by its "IT cell”.

Closing her address, Banerjee issued a caution to those living along the state’s borders: "Do not go anywhere near BSF posts in border areas."