West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a fierce offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state. On Tuesday, the Chief Minister led a massive rally in Bongaon protesting the SIR, after which she addressed the public, launching a scathing attack on the BJP and issuing an open challenge.
Direct Challenge to BJP
In her address, Mamata Banerjee directly challenged the BJP, stating that if the. Party attempts to attack her in Bengal, she would shake its foundation across India. She asserted that the BJP can't defeat her through political means. The Chief Minister questioned whether conducting SIR in BJP-ruled states implies that the central government acknowledges the presence of infiltrators there. This question casts serious doubt on the impartiality of the SIR process and the intentions behind it.
Allegations of Voter List Manipulation
Banerjee warned that once the draft voter list is released after the SIR, people will realize the extent of what the Election Commission and the BJP have done. She stated that if SIR were conducted every two to three years, her party would support the process with all available resources, but she questioned the haste of the current process. Mamata Banerjee also cited the Bihar election results, where, according to her, the opposition failed to anticipate the BJP's game, attributing it to the SIR. She reiterated her threat to shake the BJP's foundation across India if they attempt to attack her in Bengal.
Warning to Remove Central Government
Assuring the public, Mamata Banerjee stated that if their names are removed from the voter list, the central government would also be removed. She expressed her fondness for Bangladesh as a country due to their shared language. She also emphasized that she's from Birbhum and might. One day be called a Bangladeshi, but she isn't concerned. Referring to Prime Minister Modi receiving votes in the 2024 list, she asserted that if people's names are removed, the central government will also be removed. She questioned the urgency behind SIR and stated that if. The CAA labels someone as Bangladeshi, their identity will be challenged.
Mamata Undeterred by BJP
The Chief Minister assured the people that as long as she's there, she won't allow them to be expelled. She declared, "As long as I am here, no one can remove you. " Countering the BJP, she questioned why SIR is being conducted in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh if Bangladeshis are the problem. Mamata Banerjee unequivocally stated that she isn't afraid of the BJP and that no one will be sent back as long as she's in power, while she also refuted claims by some BJP leaders that she was previously a Bangladeshi citizen. She accused the BJP of technically selling cards in the name of CAA cards and collecting money.
Allegations of Deaths Due to SIR
Citing the ongoing SIR process in the state, the Chief Minister claimed that 35 people have died because of it. She specifically mentioned the death of a person named Rinku, who reportedly blamed the Election Commission for his demise, while mamata Banerjee also accused the BJP of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create fake voters, calling it "BJP's new scheme. " She further alleged that the Border Security Force (BSF) is intimidating people during elections. She questioned how infiltration could occur when trains, planes, and everything else are under central control, and security agencies monitor everything, including the borders where the BSF is present, while these allegations also raise questions about the central government's security arrangements.
