Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee gave a strong warning on Friday. He said the party would start a mass protest if any Bengali-speaking voter’s name is removed from electoral rolls.
Speaking to reporters after returning from Delhi, Banerjee said the party would “gherao” the Election Commission of India (ECI) office in Delhi with one lakh people from Bengal if such deletions happen.
“Those who sold the Election Commission by saying ‘Yes SIR’, we are warning them. If names of Bengalis are removed from the voter list, we will gherao the ECI office with one lakh Bengalis,” he said. He recalled the party’s earlier protest over the non-release of MGNREGA funds. He stressed they will keep fighting for rights, even if it means facing contempt charges. “Despite a court order, they still haven’t released the MGNREGA funds. This is contempt of court,” he added.
Banerjee also pointed to a rise in fake voters. He alleged there are irregularities in voter lists in many states. “The issue of fake voters is clear. There is no shortage of them. This happened in Varanasi and Karnataka,” he said.
West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay also questioned the Centre’s political plan. “You need people to play politics. If through SIR people are sent out of the country, then no one will be left to play politics with,” he said. He hinted at fears of disenfranchisement and displacement.
The warning from TMC shows rising tension between the state’s ruling party and central bodies before the elections. The ECI has not responded yet to the allegations or protest threat.
