Mamata Banerjee argues in SC: 'SIR in Bengal only for voter deletion, justice crying behind closed doors'
Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Supreme Court to argue that the SIR process in West Bengal is being used to delete voters and undermine the electoral system. She claimed the exercise lacked transparency and fairness, urging judicial intervention.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee argued in the Supreme Court on her plea against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. She told the court that the revision exercise was being misapplied and was causing fear among voters. She maintained that the process lacked transparency and fairness. According to her, the SIR has been weaponised to selectively target individuals and could directly impact the upcoming elections. "SIR in Bengal is only for voter deletion, justice is crying behind closed doors," she added. The hearing took place amid heightened political tension in the state. Banerjee is a trained advocate and had moved an interlocutory application in the court seeking permission to present arguments in her own.
'Give me just 10 minutes'
When the hearing began, Banerjee urged the bench to permit her to speak directly. "Give me just 10 minutes, I want to clarify some facts," she said. The court initially pointed out that she already had an experienced legal team representing her, but she insisted on arguing. She told the court, "We are not getting justice anywhere. When justice is crying behind closed doors, the court becomes the last hope." She alleged that the Election Commission had been ignoring her concerns.
'Six letters to EC, no response'
Banerjee informed the court that she had written six letters to the Election Commission but did not receive a response to any of them. She questioned how ordinary citizens would be heard if even an elected Chief Minister was not being acknowledged. According to her, the SIR exercise has created apprehension of large-scale manipulation in the voter list, posing a threat to democratic fairness. She stressed that the issue was not limited to her party or her state.
"I am not fighting this battle just for TMC. This is a battle for the country’s democracy and for free and fair elections. Poor people shift to another place, but even their names are being deleted... Only Bengal is being targeted...They are asking for another certificate along with Aadhaar. No such rule exists in other states. My question is why SIR only in Bengal and not in Assam?" Banerjee asked.
SC issues notice to Election Commission
The Supreme Court has taken note of the petitions challenging the SIR process and issued notices to the Election Commission. The court has sought a detailed response and scheduled the next hearing for Monday (February 9). The bench also issued notice on the new petition and asked the Commission to explain its position.
Bengal SIR case
During the hearing on January 19, the Supreme Court laid down several directives regarding the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll in West Bengal. The court emphasised that the process must be transparent and should not create difficulties for voters. It instructed the Election Commission to publicly display the names of individuals flagged for "logical discrepancies" at gram panchayat bhavans and block offices.
These designated centres will also serve as locations where voters can submit supporting documents or raise formal objections. According to the Election Commission, "logical discrepancies" refer to inconsistencies found while linking voters to the 2002 electoral roll. These include mismatches in the names of parents or unusual age differences between a voter and their parent, such as gaps below 15 years or above 50 years. Taking cognisance of the scale of the revision, the bench led by the Chief Justice of India noted that nearly 1.25 crore voters in West Bengal had been categorised under "logical discrepancies".
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