BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya on Saturday demanded a fresh round of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bengal, arguing that the previous one failed to remove all illegal voters because of violent resistance from the then ruling Trinamool Congress.
His demand comes at a time when Opposition parties are jointly demanding the scrapping of the SIR exercise in Bengal and the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
“The previous SIR process was marred by violence. Our booth-level representatives were beaten up, and documents were set on fire. Had the process been conducted without threats and violence, names of many more unauthorised voters would have been deleted,” Bhattacharya said.
“Even our MLA Agnimitra Paul (now minister) faced violence, and a set of documents in her possession were snatched and set on fire. That is why we demand a fresh SIR in Bengal,” he added.
Around 27 lakh names were deleted from Bengal’s rolls following adjudication. The Election Commission told the Supreme Court in September that appeals of over 22 lakh voters were pending before tribunals. Lakhs of voters are awaiting tribunal decisions. In the recent bypolls to Nandigram and Rejinagar, those whose applications were pending before the tribunals could not vote.
Speaking to The Telegraph over the phone, Bhattacharya cited a series of violent incidents, including that in Malda’s Mothabari where judicial officials were held hostage amid mass protests against SIR, to argue that the previous exercise occurred amid intimidation.
According to Bhattacharya, CEC Kumar should consider a fresh round of SIR in Bengal.
BJP sources said the Opposition turned the SIR in poll-bound Bengal last year into a weapon against the BJP and the Election Commission. The BJP portrays the exercise as necessary for the state and defends the EC.
“Samik-da’s narrative will help people recall the images of violence across the state during the SIR protests. The party has consistently maintained that the SIR was intended to weed out names of Bangladeshi infiltrators and the Rohingya. The party is sticking to it even as the Opposition has moved to Delhi to protest alongside the Cockroach Janta Party,” a BJP insider said.
Gyanesh 'a hero'
The Congress, Trinamool and CPM leaders travelled to Delhi, demanding that the SIR be scrapped and Kumar resign for being "complicit with the BJP". Bhattacharya, in front, hailed Kumar for "conducting violence-free elections".
“Despite violence aimed at preventing the smooth conduct of the SIR, Gyanesh Kumar has gifted Bengal unprecedentedly free and fair elections without a single incident of violence. That is why people of the state are worshipping Gyanesh Kumar as a hero,” Bhattacharya claimed. "Opposition leaders who no longer have a base in Bengal have now gone to Delhi and joined hands with cockroaches and lizards."
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The Opposition slammed Bhattacharya. “The BJP had claimed one crore names of Bangladeshi infiltrators and the Rohingya would be deleted from the poll rolls once the SIR was over. Now they should tell us the exact number of such infiltrators and the Rohingya before uttering a word about the SIR,” CPM veteran Sujan Chakraborty said. "The BJP leaders are trying to shield Gyanesh Kumar as they know he is the custodian of Narendra Modi’s political life."