West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Take SIR Protest to Delhi
KOLKATA: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to depart for New Delhi on Wednesday following her Singur rally, according to sources. Her visit aims to escalate protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll by approaching Nirvachan Sadan and engaging with senior opposition leaders who will be in the capital for the budget session of Parliament.
Opposition Support and Strategic Meetings
On Tuesday, Banerjee met with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, who expressed strong support for her stance. Yadav emphasized, "Only Didi (Banerjee) can counter BJP’s onslaught in this country." He criticized the SIR, claiming it was implemented "only to target Bengal."
Banerjee had hinted at her Delhi plans during the Republic Day function at Raj Bhawan on Monday evening, indicating to close aides her determination to intensify the fight against the SIR. She has already written five letters to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, voicing opposition to the handling of the roll revision.
TMC's Parliamentary Strategy
Ahead of Banerjee's visit, TMC MPs Sagarika Ghose and Satabdi Roy addressed the SIR issue extensively at an all-party meeting convened by the Centre on the eve of the budget session. Banerjee is also likely to meet her party MPs to outline their roles in what is anticipated to be the final Parliament session before the Bengal assembly polls.
MP Sagarika Ghose highlighted Trinamool's intent to bring the SIR protests to Parliament, stating, "We reiterated in the all-party meeting that the ongoing SIR process in Bengal must be discussed on the floor of Parliament during the budget session. The manner in which the SIR exercise is being conducted raises serious questions about the neutrality and transparency of Election Commission, and this deserves discussion."
She further elaborated on key concerns:
- A "logical discrepancy list" containing approximately 1.5 crore names requires debate.
- Over 130 reported deaths during the SIR exercise should be addressed in Parliament.
- The misuse of central agencies in poll-bound states, including ED cases, must be discussed.
Ghose added, "All opposition parties stressed in the all-party meeting that Parliament is not a one-way street."
Samajwadi Party's Strong Stance
While Ghose spoke in Delhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who arrived in Kolkata with his wife Dimple Yadav on Monday, voiced firm opposition to the SIR. After visiting the Kalighat temple, Yadav met Banerjee at Nabanna for about 40 minutes.
Standing alongside Banerjee, Yadav remarked, "For the first time, it is being seen that EC and BJP are carrying out NRC in the name of SIR. Their objective is to delete as many voters as possible. Many people were forced to prove their citizenship."
Referring to the EC and BJP, the former Uttar Pradesh CM stated, "These people are playing with secularism. In UP, more voters have been deleted than in Bengal."
Yadav praised Banerjee's "courage" in fighting for the people, noting, "The (central) agencies are BJP’s organisations. The entire Maharashtra was won using ED and CBI. I am happy that Didi has defeated ED. The people of Bengal have a deep emotional bond with their chief minister and Didi will become CM again. BJP is fighting a battle to lose with dignity, but the people here will defeat them decisively."
Trinamool's Delegation and Electoral Concerns
On Tuesday, a five-member Trinamool delegation, comprising MPs Mahua Moitra, Dola Sen, Partha Bhowmik, and Bapi Haldar, along with state forest minister Birbaha Hansda, met Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal. They raised questions about the "extra-legal" appointment of micro-observers and the authority granted to them by the EC to delete names from the voters' list.
Moitra pointed out, "There are no statutory provisions for (appointment of) micro-observers. Yet, DEOs (district election officers) are being told by WhatsApp to share EC login ID passwords with them."
This series of events underscores the escalating political tensions surrounding the SIR in West Bengal, with Banerjee's Delhi visit poised to amplify the protest on a national stage.
