New Delhi/Kolkata, Dec 31 (NationPress) Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of failing to provide satisfactory answers to the inquiries raised by the party's delegation of MPs, which he led, regarding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal during a meeting at the Election Commission of India (ECI) headquarters in Delhi.

“During our previous meeting in November with the CEC, we highlighted our concerns related to the SIR, but unfortunately, we did not receive any satisfactory responses. This time, similarly, our questions posed during the lengthy two-and-a-half-hour meeting went unanswered,” Banerjee stated while speaking to reporters outside the ECI office on Wednesday.

He emphasized that the Trinamool Congress would not stand for what he described as the humiliation of the people of West Bengal in the name of the SIR. “There will be no compromise on democracy. Our struggle to protect Bengal’s rights will persist, and we will not cede any ground to the anti-people BJP and its ally, the ECI,” he asserted.

Banerjee also criticized the ECI for being unclear about instances of “logical discrepancies,” referring to voters with questionable family details identified during the progeny mapping process.

“The so-called ‘logical discrepancies’ embedded in the application at the electoral registration officer (ERO) and assistant electoral registration officer (AERO) levels need immediate correction. Additionally, the verification process should reach every doorstep, not just for citizens above 85 years of age, but for all ailing and specially-abled individuals over 60 years old. West Bengal will not allow its voters to be belittled or disenfranchised under the pretext of administrative exercises,” Banerjee added.

He mentioned that the delegation raised concerns about the Commission’s decision to exclude booth-level agents (BLAs) from participating in hearings regarding claims and objections on the draft voters’ list.

“If party agents are permitted inside polling booths on election day, and if BLA representatives are allowed during the distribution of enumeration forms, why are BLAs barred during SIR hearings? Why does the Election Commission refuse to expand the number of hearing centers? When we requested a formal circular on this matter, the Commission outrightly declined because it knows that once a circular is issued, the issue will inevitably go to court,” he said.

“The reality is evident: votes are not being stolen through EVMs; they are being manipulated through alterations in voter lists,” Banerjee concluded.

He further accused the ECI of tarnishing the image of West Bengal by repeatedly discussing the matter of infiltration.

“Before the SIR commenced, they alleged that one crore Bangladeshis and Rohingyas had flooded Bengal. Today, after 58 lakh names have been removed from the draft list, the Election Commission has remained silent. How many of these individuals are genuinely Bangladeshis or Rohingyas? If the ECI possesses the courage, it should disclose the truth. If it lacks the courage, it must apologize to the people of Bengal,” Banerjee stated.