30 August, Saturday: The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, made a mocking remark at the Election Commission of India on August 28th. She says, the poll body must stop acting like a ‘lollipop’, further stating the BJP-led government is a “lollipop sarkar”.
Mamata Banerjee recently criticised the BJP-led central government because of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process that is taking place in Bihar before its elections. The Special Intensive Revision is an account of the voters' list, and Mamata Banerjee is likely accusing the government of using the voter list revision in Bihar to turn the election results in favour of the BJP. Hence, the statement implies that the voters' list revision is being used to help the BJP unfairly.
“This is a ‘lollipop sarkar’. They are trying to threaten the BDO, SDO, DM, and Police. They are saying that either they will take away their jobs or put them in jail. The ECI comes and goes, but the State Government remains. The Election Commission has a lifespan of 3 months only during elections. Just like we have Lakshmir Bhandar, we also know about your 'Corruption Bhandar'. I will expose everything," West Bengal CM said, while addressing a gathering on the occasion of Trinamool Chatra Parishad (TMCP) foundation day in Kolkata, as stated in the Live Mint report.
These comments were made during a political situation over the SIR practice in Bihar. The Election Commission has decided to shift the exercise elsewhere. With Bihar elections taking place this year, the West Bengal elections will happen the next year, i.e., 2026.
“On one hand, there is the BJP; on the other hand, we have their friend, the Left Front. I respect the chair of the ECI. It suits children to have a lollipop, but it does not suit the ECI to act like a lollipop. This is Bengal. Kolkata was once the capital of undivided India. The British then changed it because they knew that even if they defeated other States, they could not fight us," Mamta Banerjee added, as stated by Live Mint. "During the partition of Bangladesh, the people's language was Bangla, that's why they speak in Bangla... BJP is conducting a survey by bringing a 500-member team to delete names from the electoral roll. Don't share your documents with them. Because they're planning to collect your documents and remove your names from the voter list. Just take an Aadhaar card because it's a mandatory ID proof," she added.
The Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee also makes comment on BJP of practicing nepotism in politics and within their own party. "They speak of dynasty politics. What about your son Amit Shah? Who is the ICC President? Is this not dynasty politics? Ask them how many of their family members are holding bureaucratic posts in different States! We do not give lollipops; we ensure democratic rights," she said, as reported in Live Mint.
Mamata Banerjee also stated that the people of Bengal will not tolerate the bad treatment of the poor by wrongly labelling them as illegal Bangladeshis.
