- Mamata Banerjee meets top Election Commission officials in Delhi
- Warns she can mobilise lakhs to protest before the EC
- Accuses poll body of targeting Bengal under SIR exercise
- BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari terms move “dramabazi”
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 3rd Feb: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday escalated the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) controversy to the national capital, issuing a sharp warning to the Election Commission after meeting its top leadership in Delhi.
Following her interaction with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, Banerjee told reporters that she could mobilise “lakhs of people” to march to Delhi and protest before the poll body.
Sources said the meeting turned tense, with the Chief Minister repeatedly making allegations against the Commission and allegedly striking the table despite officials maintaining restraint and a polite demeanour. Banerjee accused the Election Commission of misusing the voter roll clean-up drive under the SIR to exclude genuine voters in opposition-ruled states.
Questioning the Commission’s intent, Banerjee asked why the SIR exercise was not carried out in BJP-ruled Assam, a state with a long history of disputes over illegal immigration and demographic changes. She alleged that West Bengal and Kerala were being selectively targeted, branding the poll body a “BJP agent”.
“I have never seen an Election Commission like this—so arrogant. They are great liars,” Banerjee said, adding that constitutional offices are not permanent and should not set “dangerous precedents”.
Banerjee, accompanied by several All India Trinamool Congress leaders and MLAs, arrived at the Election Commission office wearing black shawls as a mark of protest. The delegation also included individuals whom the Trinamool claimed were affected by the SIR exercise.
According to sources, the Chief Election Commissioner firmly but calmly reminded Banerjee of the rule of law, stating that no one should attempt to take matters into their own hands. Any attempt to pressure or obstruct officials engaged in the SIR exercise would invite strict action under the law, officials warned.
Sources further claimed that some Trinamool MLAs used abusive and threatening language during the meeting. Election Commission officials also pointed out that its offices and infrastructure in West Bengal have been vandalised multiple times in the past, allegedly by Trinamool workers.
Reacting sharply, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari dismissed Banerjee’s Delhi visit as “dramabazi”, accusing her of politicising an institutional process ahead of the assembly elections.
With political temperatures rising and all major parties gearing up for the Bengal polls, the confrontation over the SIR exercise has now turned into a high-stakes face-off between the Trinamool Congress and the Election Commission, placing the neutrality of the electoral process at the centre of a growing national debate.
