Will not tolerate deletion of names of particular community from voters' list after SIR: Bengal CM

Kolkata, Oct 9 Amid indications that the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s special intensive revision (SIR) in West Bengal will start after October 15, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that she would not tolerate the deletion of names of voters from one particular community in the state following the voter list revision.

She also accused the ECI of unnecessarily hurrying to begin and complete the SIR process in West Bengal at a time when, on one hand, the festive season in West Bengal is and, on the other hand, several people in rain and landslide-hit regions in North Bengal are struggling to come out of the crisis as a result of the natural calamity.

"I will not tolerate it if the names of people from any particular community in the state are deleted from the voters' list because of this unnecessary hurry. I am asking them (ECI) not to play with fire. A crisis situation because of a natural calamity is still prevailing in West Bengal. Houses of several people have been washed away because of the flood. In such a situation, from where will they furnish the necessary documents for the SIR? Some are on vacation because of the ongoing festive season. How will they furnish the documents?" the Chief Minister asked while addressing media persons on Thursday afternoon.

Her comments come at a time when a Central team, led by the Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti, is on a two-day visit to West Bengal to review the preparedness for SIR.

The Chief Minister also targeted a section of the commission's officials without directly naming anyone and accused them of working beyond their authority.

"One particular officer has several charges of corruption against him. I will reveal those when the time comes. I hope that he will not act beyond his authority. He is unnecessarily threatening the state government officials. The state administration is yet to be taken over by the ECI. Then why is the Commission holding meetings with the booth-level officers now," the Chief Minister asked.

Claiming that two residents of Nadia district have received the National Register of Citizens (NRC) just after the Durga Puja, CM Banerjee said that the development justifies her apprehension that the Union government was trying to impose the NRC in West Bengal in the name of SIR.

"Why were NRC notices slapped in the name of SIR? Are they (Union government) trying to enforce the NRC in the state? They will never be successful. The SIR is actually a conspiracy to delete the names of genuine voters from the voters' list. A saffronisation attempt of the Central agencies is going on," the Chief Minister said.

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