Should there be an election without SIR in West Bengal?

Kolkata, Aug 18 (NationPress) The Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari, expressed strong criticism towards the Trinamool Congress for opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), emphasizing that there should be no elections in West Bengal until SIR has been carried out.

This remark from the BJP leader followed comments made by Abhishek Banerjee, a member of the Lok Sabha from the Trinamool Congress, who urged the BJP-led central government to implement SIR nationwide rather than just in states facing elections.

During a press conference held at a BJP office in the Salt Lake area of Kolkata, Adhikari stated, "Following Bihar's example, the Special Intensive Revision or SIR could commence in this state and throughout the nation. However, the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has vehemently resisted the implementation of SIR here."

He further noted that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly issued warnings about this during various rallies.

“We aim to clarify the BJP's stance on SIR. Our demand is simple: 'No SIR, No Election'. The more the Trinamool Congress opposes this, the longer the SIR process will be delayed. And everyone is aware of the repercussions of such delays,” he asserted.

Recently, Abhishek Banerjee remarked that the central government should be dissolved and SIR should be implemented across the nation.

Adhikari also took a jab at the Trinamool Congress, alleging that the party aims to include illegal citizens in the voter's registry.

"The Trinamool Congress has been persistently approaching the judiciary regarding SIR. Earlier, MP Mahua Moitra sought court intervention regarding SIR in Bihar. Subsequently, the state government approached the Supreme Court and voluntarily positioned itself as a party in an ongoing case in which it was not originally involved. This clearly indicates their desire to incorporate the names of duplicate voters, double-register voters, Bangladeshi Muslims, and Rohingyas into the list, effectively replacing deceased voters," Adhikari remarked.

The Opposition leader emphasized that the Trinamool Congress has facilitated the creation of fraudulent voter IDs, enabling individuals to vote multiple times in regions like Cooch Behar, Malda, Diamond Harbour, and finally in Bhabanipur.

“This is a straightforward calculation. Their obstruction is rooted in this simple arithmetic. However, SIR is not a novel concept. Back in 2002, when SIR was executed in West Bengal, 26 lakh names were eliminated,” he concluded.