West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that she will move court against the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and over the "inhumane" way it was conducted in the state. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo made the remarks while speaking at a public meeting in Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district.
However, the chief minister did not clarify whether she will personally move to the court, or would it be the state government or the TMC. Banerjee alleged that several people died in the state due to the "fear, harassment and administrative arbitrariness" linked to the SIR.
"We are moving court tomorrow against the inhumane treatment and the death of so many people due to the SIR," she said. "If allowed, I will also move the Supreme Court and plead as a common person against this inhumane exercise. I am also a trained lawyer."
The TMC supremo claimed elderly and ill people were harassed during the SIR drive. Taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Banerjee said the saffron party is discriminating against Bengali speaking people in other states. She said she will never stop speaking Bengali, daring the BJP to 'kill' her.
Banerjee was referring to the recent incident in neigbhouring Odisha, where a migrant worker from West Bengal was killed last month.
"How would BJP leaders feel if someone made their old parents stand in line to prove their identity?" she asked. "Since the SIR began, so many people have died due to fear, and several others are in hospital."
Bengal SIR and Banerjee's criticism
Last month, the Election Commission of India (ECI) released the draft electoral rolls for West Bengal, deleting around 58.8 lakh voters. Sources had told India TV earlier that West Bengal at present has 24.18 lakh deceased voters, whose names are still on the electoral rolls. They also said that 12.01 lakh voters are untraceable in the state.
Banerjee's party has criticised the SIR drive constantly, urging the poll body to halt it. On Sunday, she also wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, urging him to "address and rectify the glitches" in the drive.
The ECI is yet to respond to Banerjee's letter. However, it is worth mentioning that the poll body has repeatedly urged Banerjee and her party not to spread rumours against the drive.
