Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal, raising counter-questions over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and the controversy surrounding the state’s voter list.
Addressing media in Kolkata, Shah presented what he termed a “charge sheet” against the state government and directly responded to allegations made by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding the SIR exercise. He asserted that the revision process had been conducted smoothly across the country, including in non-BJP-ruled states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, without any need for judicial intervention.
“Why did the Supreme Court have to intervene only in West Bengal?” Shah questioned, referring to the apex court’s involvement in the verification of electoral rolls in the state.
Sharpening his attack, Shah accused the TMC of engaging in appeasement politics and alleged that the state government had allowed infiltrators to be included in the voter list. “If the BJP comes to power in Bengal, we will not merely remove infiltrators from the voter list; we will identify each one and expel them from the country,” he said.
The remarks come amid an ongoing political tussle over the SIR process, which the TMC has described as an attempt to disenfranchise voters in the state. Mamata had earlier approached the Supreme Court over the issue, following allegations that a large number of names were being excluded from the electoral rolls. The court subsequently directed the appointment of judicial officers to oversee the verification process.
Shah, however, claimed that administrative lapses at the lower levels had led to a large number of “logical discrepancies” in the voter list, necessitating judicial oversight. He pointed out that around 60 lakh applications were flagged under this category, of which approximately 37 lakh have been verified so far.
He further alleged that district officials in West Bengal were unable to perform their duties independently, which contributed to irregularities in the electoral rolls.
The Union Home Minister also raised concerns over border security, linking the issue to alleged infiltration. He stated that while the state government has often blamed the Border Security Force (BSF) for failing to curb illegal entry, the construction of border fencing has been hindered due to delays in land acquisition by the state.
“I have personally spoken to Mamata Banerjee on this issue, and the Union Home Secretary also visited Kolkata to discuss it. Despite that, land acquisition has not taken place,” Shah said, adding that if the BJP comes to power in West Bengal, the process would be completed within 45 days.
The exchange of sharp accusations between the BJP and TMC comes as the state heads toward the West Bengal Assembly Election, with both sides intensifying their campaigns and framing the voter list controversy as a central political issue.
Also read: Shashi cleared in SIR process; TMC raises transparency concerns
Follow us
