Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday targeted West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her allegations regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. Speaking to ANI during a roadshow, he said that while he understands her criticism of the Election Commission, she is now also questioning the judiciary.
“This is not a Hindu-Muslim issue. I understand Mamata Banerjee’s allegations against the Election Commission, but now she is blaming the judiciary, because the entire SIR is being carried out under the judiciary,” Amit Shah told ANI.
TMC Claims vs BJP Response Over Voter Roll Deletions
He was responding to claims by the Trinamool Congress that names of Hindu voters had also been deleted during the SIR exercise. Mamata Banerjee has been strongly attacking the BJP over the issue.
“SIR is a huge scam. This is not SIR but an attempt to bring BJP to power. This is a scam to delete names. Ninety lakh names have been deleted,” she alleged while addressing a gathering in Keshiary in the state.
Concerns Raised Over Missing Names And Matua Community
She had earlier said that the TMC would stand by those whose names were missing from the voter rolls after the SIR exercise. She also raised concerns about the removal of names of some people from the Matua community.
During his interaction, Amit Shah also expressed confidence about the BJP’s performance in the upcoming elections. “This time, the people of Bengal are definitely going to bring change in Bengal, and on 5th (May), BJP Chief Minister will be sworn in here,” he told ANI.
Political Attacks And ‘Sonar Bangla’ Vision
Speaking about the party’s support in the state, Shah, who had earlier addressed rallies in Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum, accused Mamata Banerjee of turning “Sonar Bangla into syndicate raj.” He added that the BJP would work towards building “Sonar Bangla” as envisioned by Rabindranath Tagore.
He also alleged that the slogan of “Maa, Maati, Maanush” had been turned into “mafia, muscleman and money power gang.”
Border, Infiltration And Governance Allegations
Shah further accused the state government of not providing land required for border fencing. “BSF needs 600 acres of land to fence the border. However, Mamata Didi refuses to give land, which leads to infiltration. Mamata ji shelters infiltrators, and they, in turn, elect her. On 4th May, the BJP Govt is going to be formed, and we will ensure that infiltrators are identified and removed from the country,” he said.
He also claimed that thousands of factories had moved out of the state under TMC rule. “Mamata Didi has rendered the youth of Bengal–once considered the industrial hub of entire India–jobless,” he added.
Poll Promises And Election Timeline
Reiterating key promises, Shah said the BJP would implement the Uniform Civil Code and the 7th Pay Commission. “It’s time to say bye-bye to Mamata’s government. Removing Mamata’s government means creating an infiltrator-free Bengal. If you want to remove infiltrators from Bengal, only and only the BJP can do this job,” he said.
Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4. In the 2021 elections, the TMC won 213 seats, while the BJP secured 77.
(With inputs from ANI)
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
