West Bengal Chief Minister's Strong Criticism Against Election Commission
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission on Monday, accusing the constitutional body of rushing through the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. The TMC supremo termed the exercise as "votebandi" and demanded its immediate suspension, drawing parallels with the controversial demonetisation move.
'Votebandi' Comparison with Demonetisation
Speaking to reporters in Siliguri, Banerjee didn't mince words as she compared the voter roll revision process to the 2016 demonetisation drive. "Just like demonetisation was 'notebandi', SIR is 'votebandi'," she asserted. The chief minister alleged that the process was being conducted in excessive haste ahead of elections, calling it "another form of super emergency."
Banerjee directly accused the BJP-led central government of harassing people through this exercise. "The BJP-led central government is harassing people in the name of SIR", she claimed during her interaction with media representatives. The timing of the revision particularly concerned the veteran politician, who questioned why such an extensive process was being initiated just before elections.
Timing and Feasibility Concerns Raised
The Trinamool Congress chief expressed serious doubts about the Election Commission's ability to complete the voter roll revision properly within the proposed timeframe. "I do not understand the hurry in conducting SIR just before elections", Banerjee stated, adding that "the revision of electoral rolls cannot be completed in two or three months."
She went further to allege that the process was being "carried out forcibly" without proper consideration for its implications on democratic rights. The West Bengal CM emphasized that the Election Commission must immediately stop this exercise to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
Defiant Stance and GST Criticism
In a dramatic declaration, Mamata Banerjee stated her willingness to face any consequences for speaking out against the voter roll revision. "The BJP can send me to jail or even cut my throat for speaking out against SIR, but do not curb the voting rights of people", she asserted boldly.
During the same interaction, the chief minister also renewed her criticism of the Goods and Services Tax regime, describing it as a "blunder" that should be rolled back completely. "The central government is looting people in the name of GST", Banerjee alleged, continuing her long-standing opposition to the tax reform.
The Election Commission's special intensive revision program aims to update voter rolls before the upcoming elections, but opposition parties including TMC have raised serious questions about both its timing and underlying intent, setting the stage for another political confrontation.
