TMC to launch anti-SIR campaign; Kolkata rally in Nov likely to be addressed by Mamata, Abhishek
Kolkata (PTI): The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal is planning a mega rally in Kolkata next month to oppose the proposed Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, party sources said on Friday.
The rally, likely to be held in the first or second week of November, is expected to be addressed by TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, the sources said.
"A massive rally is being planned in Kolkata after the festive season, once Kali Puja and Bhai Dooj are over. The venue is likely to be Shahid Minar ground, but if it's unavailable due to prior bookings, we may shift it to the second week of November," a senior TMC leader told PTI.
The move marks the beginning of the party's full-fledged agitation against what Banerjee has repeatedly termed as a "BJP-backed ploy to bring NRC through the backdoor" under the guise of the SIR exercise.
The TMC's offensive comes amidst preparations by the Election Commission (EC) to begin the proposed Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
In September, an EC team led by Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti visited the state to review readiness and conduct training for district election officers.
The ruling party has also questioned how senior BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and Union Minister of State Shantanu Thakur, could "predict" the number of voters whose names would allegedly be deleted, even before the poll panel issued a formal notification for the exercise.
"Before any notification has come out, how come BJP leaders are claiming that lakhs of names will be removed? Are they writing the script of the SIR from Delhi?" asked another TMC functionary.
TMC leaders have declared that the party will make this issue one of its main political planks in the coming months, accusing the BJP of trying to manipulate the voter list ahead of the state elections.
Several ministers and legislators have warned that "West Bengal will be on the boil" if the name of even a single genuine voter is deleted during the revision process.
The BJP, however, hit back, saying the TMC's opposition stems from fear that the exercise will expose "fake voters and infiltrators" allegedly enrolled under the ruling party's watch.
"The chief minister is opposing a routine electoral rolls revision because she wants to protect Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators who have found a place in the voter list," said a state BJP spokesperson Keya Ghosh.
With the political temperature in Bengal rising fast, the TMC's proposed November rally is expected to set the tone for an intense pre-election confrontation between the state's ruling party and the BJP-led Centre.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Engine issue forces SWISS Delhi flight to abort takeoff; six passengers injured
New Delhi (PTI): A Zurich-bound Swiss International Air Lines' flight carrying 232 passengers aborted take off at the Delhi airport early Sunday due to an engine issue, sources said.
Six passengers are undergoing medical evaluation, an airline spokesperson said without elaborating.
Smoke was observed from the port side of one of the landing gears of the A330 aircraft that was operating the flight LX147 to Zurich. The flight crew aborted the take off and full emergency response was initiated, the sources said.
In a detailed statement, an airline spokesperson said there were 228 passengers and four infants on board.
"Shortly after takeoff, just after 1:00 am. local time in India, an issue occurred with one of the engines. The crew rejected the takeoff and, following an assessment of the situation, decided as a precaution to evacuate the aircraft," the spokesperson said.
Six passengers were receiving medical attention, the spokesperson added.
"All passengers and crew evacuated the aircraft via the emergency slides.Six passengers are currently undergoing medical evaluation. For a small number of individuals who were unable to use the slides, stairs were provided," the spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, Swiss technical specialists will travel to Delhi to inspect the aircraft and initiate the next steps.
The airline is known as Swiss.
At the same time, the spokesperson said the airline was working intensively to find a swift and suitable onward travel solutions for all passengers.
