West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Centre, accusing them of using the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list as a political tool to destabilise the state government ahead of the upcoming elections.
Speaking at a public rally in minority-dominated Gazole, Malda, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo claimed that the BJP had attempted to “capture Bengal before the elections.” She directly named Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that the SIR was announced “three months early by trickery.”
“Elections will be declared in February, so they declared the SIR three months ago by trickery. Amit Shah did this so that if we don’t follow the SIR, they can throw out the government,” Mamata said. Pausing briefly, she added, “Aren’t you too greedy to capture Bengal? No matter how hard you try, Bengal cannot be captured. You have dug your own grave by using SIR.”
Mamata further escalated her criticism by comparing the BJP to bedbugs. “Bedbugs stay in the bed and bite until you remove them. They too must be removed politically, so they never harm Bengal again,” she declared.
Accusing the saffron party of spreading communal tension, the Chief Minister said, “I do secular politics. I follow the Constitution and ensure the safety of people of all religions. I will not allow anarchy in Bengal.”
She clarified that her party was not opposed to the SIR itself but to the manner in which it was being conducted. “Why is this hurry? Why must someone who is a citizen prove it again?” she asked, alleging that the Centre was “systematically trying to sabotage development activities” by withholding funds and pushing the SIR aggressively.
Reassuring the public, Mamata reiterated that no one in Bengal would be sent to detention camps. “I haven’t come here to ask for votes. I have come to stand by you. Don’t be afraid. I am your guardian,” she told the crowd.
Without naming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she criticised the Centre for using force. “You think you can do everything by force. You’re trying to create a situation like an Emergency. But remember, people will have the last word,” she warned.
Earlier in her speech, pointing to a distant rail line, Mamata reminded the audience that she had built it during her tenure as Railway Minister. She went on to highlight developmental achievements in Bengal since 2011, including projects affected by central fund cuts.
She also expressed frustration over the Centre’s “indifference” to erosion along the Farakka barrage, saying, “I have been sending letters repeatedly, yet there has been no action on dredging or renovation of the barrage.”
Raising the recent case of Sonali Bibi, a pregnant woman from Birbhum who was mistakenly pushed back to Bangladesh, Mamata asked, “Was Sonali a Bangladeshi? Why was a pregnant woman sent across the border? Why so much anger towards Bengalis?” She attributed it to the BJP’s inability to “conquer Bengal.”
The Supreme Court has since ordered Sonali’s return to India.
Wrapping up her speech, the Chief Minister once again assured the people: “Are you afraid of SIR? Don’t be. I am always by your side as your guardian.”
Also read: Mamata hits out at Centre over ‘forced’ SIR drive
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