Protest march held in Kolkata over people's 'harassment' during Bengal SIR
Kolkata (PTI): An organisation led by West Bengal minister Siddiqullah Chowdhury took out a march here on Tuesday to protest against the alleged harassment of people during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
The procession by Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Hind began in the Rajabazar area of north-central Kolkata and culminated at Esplanade in the central part of the city, covering a distance of about 4.5 kilometres.
A large number of protesters, including women and elderly persons, participated in the march and raised slogans against the Centre and the Election Commission.
Chowdhury alleged that residents of West Bengal, including senior citizens, were being forced to stand in long queues for hours for verification, which is "inhuman".
"We will continue our fight through democratic means. Injustice is being meted out to us, which is not acceptable," said the state minister for mass education extension and library services.
He alleged that the central government was pressuring the Election Commission to conduct the SIR ahead of the state assembly elections this year.
Responding to a question on whether minorities were being selectively targeted during the voter list revision exercise, Chowdhury said the protest was "against oppression and the undermining of the independence of an autonomous constitutional institution".
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EC-TMC meet ends on bitter note; CEC asks TMC delegation to 'get lost', MP accused of 'shouting'
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New Delhi (PTI): The meeting between a Trinamool Congress delegation and the full bench of the Election Commission on Wednesday culminated on an acrimonious note, with the TMC saying the panel's chief asked them to "get lost" at the end of the seven-minute meeting, while the EC accused them of "shouting".
After the meeting, TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien told mediapersons that they handed over letters from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, and also apprised him of specific instances of poll officials having links with the BJP.
"Then he said, 'Get lost'. We have done eight to nine meetings with the Election Commission. Apart from the CEC, none of the other election commissioners spoke," O'Brien said.
"While we were walking out, one of my colleagues congratulated Gyanesh Kumar for being the only CEC to have notices moved in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for his removal," O'Brien MP said.
Meanwhile, sources in the Election Commission said the poll panel chief gave a "straight talk" to TMC leaders.
They accused O'Brien of shouting at the election commissioners and alleged that he asked the CEC not to speak.
The EC sources further said the elections in West Bengal would be "fear-free, violence-free, intimidation-free, and inducement-free."
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