CM Banerjee Vows to Protect Voting Rights Against BJP in Eid Address
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Kolkata, March 21 (NationPress) During a gathering celebrating the Eid festival on Saturday morning, West Bengal's Chief Minister made strong remarks about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being the driving force behind this initiative. "I will ensure that neither the BJP nor the Prime Minister can take away your voting rights. He often labels certain individuals as infiltrators, yet he himself is the biggest infiltrator. Why does he overlook Hindu-Muslim issues during his visits to Saudi Arabia or Dubai? When he returns home, he focuses on removing names from the voter list," Chief Minister Banerjee stated while addressing attendees at Red Road in Central Kolkata on Saturday morning.
She highlighted that numerous names have been removed in West Bengal due to the revision process. "I am committed to fighting against this issue. I have brought this matter before the Supreme Court to combat the widespread deletion of names. My struggle against the unjust removal of names from the voters' list will persist," she declared.
Her remarks followed the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s announcement on Saturday night regarding the first supplementary list of cases deemed as having "logical discrepancies," which will be published on March 23.
According to figures from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, approximately 34% of the names that underwent judicial review have been considered ineligible. However, individuals still have the right to appeal to any of the 19 Appellate Tribunals set up for this purpose.
"Those who aim to target West Bengal and sow division among people should be condemned. Remember that West Bengal has a rich history of communal harmony. Any attempts to polarize communities along religious lines will be met with fierce resistance," the Chief Minister asserted on Saturday morning.
In a brief address at the same event, Trinamool Congress general secretary and party Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee, also emphasized the importance of maintaining communal harmony in West Bengal. "We must all come together for the sake of humanity. Let us preserve the harmony of Bengal," Banerjee remarked, steering clear of political commentary during the celebration.