Kolkata, Nov 28 (NationPress) Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee has publicly charged the Election Commission of India (ECI) with misleading the populace via selective leaks. He claims that the commission has provided a "point-wise rebuttal" to the concerns raised by a 10-member Trinamool Congress parliamentary delegation regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.

Banerjee has demanded that the ECI present full evidence, including CCTV footage, and respond to five specific queries posed by the party.

In a social media statement, Banerjee remarked: "The Election Commission is intentionally disseminating selective leaks to falsely assert that they have addressed the issues raised by the AITC delegation today. These claims are not merely misleading; they are BLATANT LIES. If the EC genuinely has nothing to conceal and values transparency, it must promptly release the complete CCTV footage and all evidence it claims to possess. Anything short of this only reveals their ill intentions and creates serious doubts about their motives."

He insisted that the commission should take the necessary time to adequately respond to the five questions raised by the Trinamool delegation, stating that a few hours would be insufficient.

"Let me be clear: A few hours will never be enough; take as long as you need to answer the five fundamental questions we posed," he noted.

He further indicated that the party possesses "sufficient digital evidence" to demonstrate how the ECI’s narrative is being misrepresented through orchestrated and fabricated leaks, cautioning the commission to reconsider before "engaging in conflict" with West Bengal and the Trinamool Congress.

Earlier that day, the 10-member Trinamool Congress delegation, headed by Derek O'Brien, met with senior ECI officials at Nirvachan Sadan in Delhi to address concerns related to the SIR.

Post-meeting, delegation members accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of failing to satisfactorily answer five pivotal questions, including whether the true aim of the SIR was to identify "fake voters" or alleged "infiltrators", and why West Bengal was being singled out while other border states were not affected.

Derek O'Brien accused the commission of disregarding repeated alerts from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the party’s leadership regarding the impossibility of completing the SIR process, alleging that it was being pursued despite the risks posed to field officers and citizens.

"Yet the ECI ignored repeated warnings on this issue, and the human toll persisted while adhering to the commission’s directives that prioritize partisan advantage over life and fairness. These distressing occurrences reveal a grim reality: the BJP, supported by a compliant Election Commission, is prepared to endanger lives for power," O’Brien asserted.

However, the ECI has robustly dismissed the delegation’s public assertions. In its rebuttal, senior commission officials stated that the ECI had indeed provided a "point-wise rebuttal" to every concern raised by the TMC MPs. Commission insiders clarified that the revision process is being executed strictly in accordance with constitutional mandates and electoral laws, emphasizing that political entities should engage cooperatively in the process rather than undermine it.

The ECI informed the delegation 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 assessed. The commission also reminded the Trinamool Congress delegation that the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections are constitutional responsibilities of the ECI, and stakeholders must act within the legal framework.

Regarding allegations that booth-level officers (BLOs), electoral registration officers, assistant electoral registration officers, and data-entry operators were operating under extreme stress or facing intimidation, commission sources assured the delegation that such complaints would be taken seriously. The ECI has instructed the top police administration in West Bengal to ensure that these officials -- state employees currently assigned to assist the ECI -- are not threatened, coerced, or subjected to partisan pressure.

Commission insiders reiterated that the SIR’s stated goal is to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voters’ list, including the elimination of ineligible entries, and that all legally mandated measures to remove fake voters or non-citizens from the rolls would be enforced as part of the revision initiative.

After departing from the ECI meeting, Trinamool Congress MPs reaffirmed their demand for clarity on the five questions and accused the commission of failing to address their concerns adequately, despite the ECI's claim of providing point-by-point replies. This standoff leaves the matter unresolved until the draft rolls are published and any formal objections are filed and adjudicated.