TMC's Abhishek Banerjee slams SIR as BJP's plot to 'select voters', warns of massive protest
Kolkata (PTI): TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday launched a fierce attack on the BJP and the EC over the announcement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bengal, alleging the exercise was designed to "exclude" genuine voters and tilt the political balance ahead of the 2026 state polls.
Describing the initiative as "Silent Invisible Rigging (SIR)", he claimed that it was designed to manipulate the electorate.
Claiming that the order for SIR was dictated by the ruling party at the Centre, Banerjee said, "The BJP's allied organisation has announced SIR yesterday. This process is not about inclusion but exclusion."
Accusing the BJP of subverting democratic norms, he said, "Earlier, people used to elect the government. Now, this BJP government wants to select who will vote or not."
The Diamond Harbour MP questioned why the EC was raising concerns about discrepancies in the voter list just 18 months after the Lok Sabha elections.
"If there are discrepancies in electoral rolls, then the Lok Sabha should be dissolved and fresh elections should be held," he said.
Banerjee, considered number two in the TMC, also dismissed the allegation that infiltration from Bangladesh and the entry of Rohingyas into Bengal necessitated the revision.
"Five Northeast states share borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar. Then why is SIR being announced only in West Bengal citing presence of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas?" he asked.
Challenging the poll panel's timeline for the verification exercise, the TMC leader said, "In 2002, SIR was held in Bengal over a span of two years. How will the EC complete this mammoth task within one or two months?"
He alleged that the EC was seeking to "take control of the state administration so that the government can't function" ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
The TMC leader also held Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar responsible for the death of a man in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday morning allegedly due to panic over citizenship issues.
"Pradeep Kar a resident of Panihati died due to anxiety because of ongoing NRC threat and for this Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar are responsible. In his suicide note he has blamed anxiety over NRC and SIR as the reason. An FIR should be filed against them," he said.
Issuing a warning, Banerjee said, "If the name of a single eligible voter is eliminated from the voter list, then one lakh people from Bengal will hold dharna outside the EC office in New Delhi."
Despite his objections, he asserted that the TMC would only emerge stronger. "Despite this SIR, we will increase our seat tally in this election too. This is my challenge to BJP," Banerjee said.
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Siddaramaiah in 'helpless situation', under some 'compulsion', claims Cong MLA Rajanna
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Bengaluru (PTI): Amid claims that Siddaramaiah's confidants are being targeted within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, following recent actions against some party leaders, senior MLA K N Rajanna on Friday alleged that the chief minister is "helpless" and under some "compulsion" as he is not standing up to defend his people.
The comments from the former minister, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, came after Congress took action against some of its minority community leaders--considered close to the CM--following allegations of an internal conspiracy against the party candidate in the Davanagere South bypoll held on April 9.
Rajanna himself was sacked from the Ministry last August on the instructions of the party high command, following his alleged comments criticising top party leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" charge.
"There will be vested interests in the party who will try to conspire against those who have been loyal to the party and want the party to grow for the welfare of the people. Nothing can be done about it. What we expect from our chief minister is that when such a situation arises, he should stand strong, but he is not standing and that is a sad thing," Rajanna said in response to a question whether Siddaramaiah's followers were being targeted in Congress.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "... I don't know what his thinking is. But we did not expect such a helpless situation from Siddaramaiah."
When asked who had made Siddaramaiah helpless, the former minister said, "I won't say who, you understand it yourself."
"People are saying that those close to Siddaramaiah are being targeted...I don't know what compulsions Siddaramaiah has. If he tells, we can know, but he won't say. I don't know under what compulsion he is following this neutrality," he said, adding that the CM is helpless and a person becomes "helpless" when his/her voice shrinks.
The Congress recently suspended MLC K Abdul Jabbar from the party's primary membership and relieved another MLC Naseer Ahmed from the post of chief minister's political secretary. This action came after a group of Muslim leaders accused members of their own party of "conspiracy" to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.
Following the action against Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed, speculation is that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face action during the next cabinet rejig, as these three wanted a Muslim to get the bypoll ticket in Davanagere South, which the party gave to the late MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa's grandson Samarth Mallikarjun. They also did not actively participate in campaigning.
Citing a Kannada saying that there is no punishment for the mistakes committed by the King, Rajanna, in what seemed to be a veiled dig at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, asked, "Does sharing a stage with a person (referring to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev) who said, 'Who is Rahul Gandhi? I don't know,' not amount to indiscipline?"
Referring to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge's statement on whether poverty could be ended by taking a dip in the Ganga at Prayagraj, he said, "...but this person (again referring to Shivakumar) goes there and compliments UP CM Yogi Adityanath for arrangements made for the Kumbh Mela. He also goes to Ambani family marriage, while Rahul Gandhi did not even accept the invitation."
"I'm not saying that action should be taken against this person too, but the party will have to observe these things also," he added.
Rajanna further pointed out that no action was taken when veteran Congress leader and late MLA from Davanagere South Shamanur Shivashankarappa made a speech seeking votes for BJP candidate B Y Raghavandra during Shivamogga Lok Sabha polls, and asked if this did not amount to indiscipline.
"The same people were at the helm then (referring to Shivakumar as KPCC chief), even a verbal warning was not given to him (Shivashankarappa)," he said, adding that, similarly no action was taken when Samarth Shamanur filed his nomination in Davanagere South before the party announced its candidate for Davanagere South-- that was also an act of indiscipline.
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