New Delhi, Feb 27 (NationPress) West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is currently spearheading a vigorous protest against the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. She has recently asserted that this electoral exercise could result in the exclusion of 1.2 crore voters.

The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dismissed Banerjee's claims regarding the SIR as groundless, suggesting that her concerns stem from apprehensions about a potential defeat in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Additionally, both the Congress and CPI-M have pointed fingers at both the ruling party and the main opposition BJP, holding them accountable for instilling fear and fostering a political narrative around a constitutional procedure.

According to a statement by State Congress leader Roahan Mitra from Kolkata, both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP are to blame for generating political tension over the electoral process. He referenced comments made by the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, who indicated that two crore names would be eliminated post-SIR, followed by Banerjee's assertion of 1.2 crore.

Mitra accused Banerjee of implying the removal of Muslim voters with these figures. He stated, 'We strongly oppose this political narrative. The BJP is misleading the public with falsehoods to incite religious discord ahead of the elections. Both parties share responsibility for the innocent lives lost during the SIR process.'

In a related event, Congress organized a sit-in protest last Friday outside the state electoral office in Kolkata, highlighting alleged 'flaws' from an 'accelerated SIR exercise'.

Former West Bengal BJP President Dilip Ghosh claimed that Mamata Banerjee is anxious about the impending Assembly elections, suggesting that her party has been relying on fraudulent voters for electoral victories. He remarked, 'Her acknowledgment of the numerous duplicate and fake voter names previously included to bolster her party's success is telling.'

Meanwhile, the CPI-M has directed criticism towards Banerjee regarding the participation of 'outsiders' in the SIR process, echoing similar allegations from Roahan Mitra. CPI-M leader Sujan Chakraborty questioned how individuals unfamiliar with local customs could effectively conduct an electoral roll exercise, accusing Banerjee of facilitating their involvement in West Bengal.

Chakraborty added, 'They cannot differentiate between a Bengali-speaking Indian Muslim and purported Bangladeshis or Rohingyas.' He further claimed that the ruling party has been winning elections through a significant number of 'ghost voters.'

This ongoing discussion was sparked by the Chief Minister's statements during an event organized by the Jain community in Kolkata, where she expressed concern over the reported deletions.

Banerjee noted that initially, 58 lakh names were removed from the rolls, categorized as absent, relocated, deceased, or duplicates. Subsequently, she alleged that 80 lakh names would be deleted under a new rule termed 'logical discrepancy' that had not existed prior.

She further stated, 'Even if we assume 20 lakh of those are deceased, around 1 crore and 20 lakh names will still face removal.'

The Chief Minister has persistently argued that a substantial number of legitimate voter names are being eliminated from the electoral list, claiming the SIR process is being manipulated to skew the electorate ahead of the upcoming elections.