West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with Abhishek Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP and the Election Commission of India on Tuesday, accusing them of manipulating the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls to engineer what she described as a “silent, invisible rigging” ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.
Leading thousands of Trinamool Congress supporters on a protest march from Dharmatala to Jorasanko, Mamata Banerjee claimed that the SIR process was being weaponised against opposition-ruled states. With party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee by her side, the Chief Minister said it was part of a larger plan to "erase genuine voters" from the list.
Here are five key takeaways from Mamata Banerjee's fiery SIR protest in Kolkata:
1. Mamata's warning to BJP and ECI
As per a report by The Hindu, before the huge gathering, Banerjee said that If even one genuine voter’s name is struck off the rolls, the fall of Narendra Modi will be "inevitable.”
"If even one genuine voter’s name is struck off the rolls, the BJP government will be shaken to its core. The fall of this government will be inevitable." She accused the BJP and the Election Commission of “colluding to erase voters from opposition-ruled states” like West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, while skipping the BJP-governed Assam and Tripura. "The BJP is conducting SIR in States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, but not in BJP-ruled Assam, Tripura or other northeastern states,” she said.
2. Allegations of bias and political motive
The report further says, accusing the Election Commission of favouring the ruling party at the Centre, Banerjee asked, "Why is this bias? This is clear discrimination, aimed at helping the ruling party at the Centre," She mocked Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as "kursi babu" and wondered why the SIR was being rushed through. "In 2002, Bengal’s last SIR took two years to complete. Why the hurry to finish this one in a month? Just to make Modi Babu and Amit Shah happy?” she asked. She also said, "You made people pay to get Aadhaar cards, and now you say Aadhaar isn’t proof of citizenship! What nonsense is this?"
3. Citizenship, identity and voter panic
Banerjee also countered the BJP's claims of illegal voters in Bengal. She said, "They say they will expel Bangladeshis and Rohingyas. How many Rohingyas did they find in Bihar after SIR? Just speaking Bengali doesn’t make someone a Bangladeshi. Speaking Urdu doesn’t make someone a Pakistani. Bengal’s identity cannot be insulted like this."
4. Attack on central policies and institutions
Drawing parallels with earlier central policies, Banerjee recalled, "What did people gain? Nothing but hardship and humiliation. And yet they never apologised. What a shameless government!" Accusing the BJP of undermining democratic institutions, she said, "They may win in deals, they may win through manipulation; but they will never win the people's mandate."
5. Appealing to emotions and promises of struggle
In an emotional end to her speech, Banerjee asked, "After serving seven times as an MP, three terms as the chief minister, and four terms as a central minister, do I still need to prove I’m not a Bangladeshi?" She accused the government of a conspiracy to remove "nearly two crore voters" from Bengal's rolls and declared she would resist the move. "This is not just about Bengal. This is about the soul of India, the right to vote, the right to belong. We will fight this both in Bengal and, if needed, in Delhi."
