Kolkata, Nov 28 Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of misleading the public through selective leaks claiming the commission had given a "point-wise rebuttal" to all apprehensions raised by a 10-member Trinamool Congress parliamentary delegation on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Banerjee demanded that the ECI produce full evidence, including CCTV footage, and answer five specific questions put forward by the party.
In a statement shared on social media, Banerjee said: "The Election Commission is deliberately planting selective leaks to falsely claim that they have provided a point-by-point rebuttal to the issues raised by the AITC delegation today. These assertions are not just misleading; they are OUTRIGHT LIES. If the EC truly has nothing to hide and actually believes in transparency, then instead of hiding behind motivated leaks, it must immediately release the full CCTV footage and every piece of evidence it claims to possess. Anything less only exposes their bad faith and raises serious questions about their intent."
Banerjee urged the commission to take time to respond properly to the five questions the Trinamool delegation raised and said a few hours would not suffice.
"And let me add this clearly: A few hours will always be too short, take as many days as you want to answer the five basic questions we placed before you," he said.
He added that the party has "enough digital evidence" to demonstrate how the ECI’s narrative was being distorted through planted and fabricated leaks and warned the commission to think twice before "picking a fight" with West Bengal and the Trinamool Congress.
Earlier in the day, the 10-member Trinamool Congress delegation, led by Derek O'Brien had met senior ECI officials at Nirvachan Sadan in Delhi to press the commission on SIR-related concerns.
After the meeting, delegation members alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had failed to provide satisfactory answers to five crucial questions, including whether the SIR's real intention was to detect "fake voters" or so-called "infiltrators", and why West Bengal was being targeted while other border states were not.
Derek O'Brien accused the commission of ignoring repeated warnings from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the party’s leadership that completing the SIR process was impossible, and alleged the exercise was being pursued despite the human toll and risks faced by field officers and citizens.
"Yet the ECI ignored repeated warnings on this count, and the human toll continued while following the commission’s orders that clearly prioritise partisan advantage over life and fairness. These horrifying incidents expose a chilling truth: the BJP, aided by a pliant Election Commission, is willing to sacrifice human lives for power," O’Brien said.
The ECI, however, strongly rejected the delegation’s public claims. In its response, senior commission officials said the ECI provided a “point-wise rebuttal” to every concern raised by the TMC MPs. Commission insiders said that the revision exercise is being conducted strictly in accordance with constitutional mandates and the electoral law, and that political parties are expected to participate in and cooperate with the process rather than undermine it.
According to the ECI, the delegation was informed that all objections, complaints and documentary submissions related to the revision process must be filed only after the draft electoral rolls are published on December 9, after which claims and objections can be formally examined. The commission also told the Trinamool Congress delegation that preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections are constitutional responsibilities of the ECI, and that stakeholders must operate within the legal framework.
On allegations that booth-level officers (BLOs), electoral registration officers, assistant electoral registration officers and data-entry operators were working under extreme pressure or facing intimidation, commission sources said the ECI assured the delegation that such complaints would be treated seriously. The commission has directed the top police administration in West Bengal to ensure that these officials -- state employees currently deputed to assist the ECI -- are not threatened, coerced or subjected to partisan pressure.
Commission insiders also reiterated that the SIR’s stated aim is to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voters’ list, including the removal of ineligible entries, and that all legally prescribed measures to eliminate fake voters or non-citizens from the rolls would be implemented as part of the revision exercise.
After leaving the ECI meeting, Trinamool Congress MPs reiterated their demand for clarity on the five questions and accused the commission of failing to allay their concerns despite the ECI's assertion that point-by-point replies had been given. The standoff leaves the matter hanging until the draft rolls are published and any formal objections are filed and adjudicated.
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