West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday (January 5) threatened to move the Supreme Court over the series of deaths and cases of people's harassment during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
Banerjee was speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the construction of a bridge that will connect Gangasagar and Kakdwip (on the mainland).
"We must fight it out. We are also seeking legal help. AI is being used to determine whose names will be excluded and whose will remain. We will go to the top court. We will challenge the deaths of so many people and the harassment faced by many more," she said at Gangasagar.
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'I will plead...'
The CM said that if needed, she will go to the apex court and plead. "I will speak for the people. I'm a lawyer but I will not go as one; I'll go as an ordinary citizen. I will seek permission to speak on how people are being harassed at the grassroots level."
In another retort, she asked how the BJP leaders would feel if their old parents were made to stand in queues to prove their identities.
Over 58 lakh names scrapped using AI
Banerjee alleged that more than 58 lakh names have been deleted from the draft voters' list. These people were not even allowed to submit necessary forms, Banerjee claimed and added that these names were scrapped using AI.
The TMC supremo claimed that more than 81 people have died due to SIR in the last two months.
Without directly naming Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Banerjee iterated her claim that the Election Commission was carrying out SIR of electoral rolls through WhatsApp messages. "You too will vanish someday if this continues," she said.
Deletion of women's names
The Chief Minister alleged that the EC was deleting women's names because of their changed surnames after marriage. She also claimed that the poll body was calling elderly people, even those with oxygen masks, and pregnant women for hearing.
"These people have been living in this country for so long and they still need to prove their citizenship?" asked Banerjee.
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"Because of the use of force, around 70-80 people have died," Banerjee claimed.
The names of monks are also being deleted, Banerjee alleged and claimed that such things were happening at BJP's behest.
'SIR a challenge to Bengal's pride'
Banerjee reminded the "zamindars of Delhi" how Bengal fought for Independence and played key roles in cultural and social reforms. "Do Bengalis still need to prove their citizenship after all this? Who are you? Delhi's zamindars must not forget Bengal's history," Banerjee said.
