In a bold Eid morning address amid throngs of supporters on Kolkata’s iconic Red Road, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee sounded the alarm on what she called a sinister BJP plot to disenfranchise voters. Speaking on March 21, she pinned the blame squarely on PM Narendra Modi for orchestrating the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive.
‘BJP and Modi will not take away your voting rights on my watch,’ she thundered. Banerjee mocked Modi’s foreign policy overtures, questioning why he sets aside communal rhetoric abroad only to return and target voter lists. ‘In Saudi Arabia, handshakes; in Dubai, hugs – where’s the infiltrator talk then?’ she quipped.
The CM detailed the havoc wrought by the revision: countless legitimate voters erased from rolls. Her legal salvo includes a petition to the Supreme Court, signaling an unrelenting campaign. ‘This fight against mindless deletions goes on,’ she promised.
The speech timed perfectly with ECI’s evening update: a supplementary list of disputed cases heads to judicial review on March 23. West Bengal CEO figures show 34% of reviewed names barred from voting, with appeals possible via 19 tribunals.
Banerjee’s rhetoric escalated against divisive forces: ‘Those trying to fracture Bengal’s unity and target its people belong in hell.’ She celebrated the region’s historic interfaith amity, vowing fierce resistance to religious polarization.
Nephew and TMC heavyweight Abhishek Banerjee reinforced the message, urging sustained communal peace.
As political battles intensify, Mamata’s rally crystallizes TMC’s narrative: defending democracy against central overreach.