Ghatal, West Bengal : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of planning to impose the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state through the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Speaking after visiting flood-hit areas in Ghatal, West Midnapore, Banerjee urged citizens to ensure their names remain on the voter list.
“A plan to push NRC is being made using SIR. Make sure your name stays on the list. If anyone is excluded, inform the authorities. We won’t allow Indian citizens to be sent to Bangladesh like this,” she said.
She questioned why Aadhaar and ration cards are now being rejected as proof of citizenship.
“Crores were spent on Aadhaar. Now they say it’s not enough? This is a planned move by BJP with ECI. We will not accept this,” she stated.
Banerjee also blamed the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for worsening the flood crisis.
“DVC released record amounts of water into Bengal. They didn’t dredge the rivers. After the 2026 Assembly elections, we’ll build a dam and send the water back to Jharkhand. We are tired of this repeated suffering,” she said.
She criticised the Union government for ignoring Bengal’s needs.
“The Centre has treated us like step-children. They once funded Ganga erosion projects. Now we are doing it all. We have launched the Rs 1,500 crore Ghatal Master Plan without central help,” she said.
Banerjee also hit out at the BJP for disrespecting the Bengali language and migrant workers.
“They are saying Bengali is not even a language. And they want me arrested under the National Security Act for speaking? I will continue speaking in Bengali. No one can erase our identity,” she said firmly.
Her remarks come amid rising political tension ahead of the elections. She repeated her pledge to defend Bengal from what she called central interference.
