West Bengal leader Mamata Banerjee has launched a scathing attack on the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his immediate arrest following a controversial media report. Reacting to a report published in the Indian Express, which claimed that two Election Commissioners had raised serious objections regarding irregularities in the SIR (Special Institutional Review) process, Banerjee stated that such a massive scam has never been witnessed before in the history of the country. She asserted that Gyanesh Kumar has lost all moral authority to continue in his constitutional position and must be held accountable for the alleged discrepancies.
Demand for Arrest and Nationwide Protests
In a video statement released to the public, Mamata Banerjee was seen expressing her deep concern over the functioning of the Election Commission, while she categorically stated that Gyanesh Kumar should be arrested for his role in the alleged irregularities. Banerjee further announced that a nationwide movement would be launched to protest against these findings. According to her, the integrity of the electoral process has been compromised, and she demanded that re-elections should be conducted in every single location where polls were held during Gyanesh Kumar's tenure as the Chief Election Commissioner.
Allegations of Constitutional Destruction
Mamata Banerjee described the situation as shocking and shameful, noting that she has never seen such a level of interference in her entire political career. She accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to destroy the Constitution and dismantle the democratic fabric of the nation, while banerjee alleged that the BJP is deploying its own EROs (Electoral Registration Officers) under the guise of the BJP IT team to manipulate the system. She claimed that the warnings she had issued previously regarding the conduct of the elections have now been proven true by the recent revelations in the media report.
Misuse of Police and Administrative Machinery
The former Chief Minister further alleged that Gyanesh Kumar has misused the police force to favor a specific political ideology. She claimed that in collaboration with the BJP, individuals who are supporters of the party have been strategically deployed to influence the electoral outcome. Banerjee termed this as a scam of unprecedented proportions and challenged the Chief Election Commissioner to demand his own arrest if he possessed any sense of shame or professional ethics, while she also brought up the issue of her party's election symbol, alleging that it was snatched away as a consequence of her protests against these irregularities.
Demand for Re-election in West Bengal
Focusing on the state of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee stated that the newspaper report regarding the SIR decisions and orders of the Election Commission proves that the BJP and the EC rigged the Bengal Assembly elections. Consequently, she has demanded that fresh elections be conducted in West Bengal using the old voter lists to ensure fairness. She emphasized that the current electoral data and processes are tainted and can't be trusted to reflect the true mandate of the people.
Future Course of Action by INDIA Alliance
Mamata Banerjee informed that the partners of the INDIA alliance would soon convene a meeting to discuss these developments and decide on a collective strategy. She warned that as long as Gyanesh Kumar remains the Chief Election Commissioner, protests will continue across the entire country. Also, she leveled a serious allegation that the police are being used to intimidate political opponents. According to her, police personnel are going door-to-door, coercing people to join a particular political party and threatening them with imprisonment if they refuse to comply. She concluded by reiterating that such a large-scale scam and misuse of power are entirely unprecedented.