Kolkata, March 6 (NationPress) Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday called on the public to boycott the BJP in the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, claiming that the party is targeting voters via the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Banerjee made these statements while addressing party members during a sit-in protest at Esplanade in central Kolkata, protesting against nearly 60 lakh individuals being categorized as “under adjudication” in the final electoral rolls post the SIR.

From the platform, Banerjee also urged the Election Commission to disclose the number of “Bangladeshis” and “Rohingyas” identified in West Bengal throughout the SIR process.

He mentioned that he had sent a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal requesting the publication of the final and supplementary electoral rolls as per the Supreme Court's directives.

“In 2021, several organizations proclaimed ‘No vote to BJP’. We mourn the loss of 172 fellow citizens due to the poorly planned SIR. They sacrificed their lives for our soil. We shall not let their sacrifices be in vain. From this platform, with the witness of 10 crore residents of Bengal, we declare that the BJP must be socially boycotted,” Banerjee stated.

At the onset of his speech, Banerjee criticized the Election Commission regarding the SIR process.

“Approximately 58 lakh names were omitted from the draft list published last year. Following February 28, the number escalated to around 63.54 lakh. Nearly 60 lakh individuals remain in the ‘under adjudication’ category. In total, about 1.20 crore individuals have been impacted,” he highlighted.

He further alleged that BJP leaders had been openly referencing such figures even before the SIR procedure commenced.

“This cannot merely be coincidental. As long as these 60 lakh people remain disenfranchised, they will continue to suffer. Until their rights are restored, the Trinamool Congress, under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, will persist in protesting,” he asserted.

Banerjee also demanded that the Election Commission reveal how many purported illegal migrants had been pinpointed during the revision exercise.

“Who will disclose the list of those excluded? How many Bangladeshis and Rohingyas have been recognized? When you (CEC Gyanesh Kumar) visit the state from March 8 to 10, please bring the list,” Banerjee urged.

In commenting on the resignation of West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose amidst the political turmoil surrounding the SIR exercise, Banerjee remarked: “Whoever comes to Bengal ultimately ends up resigning. First it was Jagdeep Dhankhar, then C.V. Ananda Bose, and the next one will also resign. Just wait a bit. After May 26, this too will occur.”

Criticizing the BJP’s Parivartan Yatra in the state, Banerjee noted: “They are organizing a Rath Yatra. The BJP leaders will ride the chariots while ordinary citizens will remain stranded on the roads. You can see the Rath Yatra images. The SIR has also taken place there, yet they show no concern for the people. They are more focused on their so-called Parivartan Yatra.”