Mamata Banerjee demands resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar over electoral roll revision

Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that the Election Commission conducted the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls to "help the BJP capture Bengal" by deleting names of valid voters. She further demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

“The truth is now out about how BJP used EC,” Banerjee said, in an apparent reference to a recent report on differences within the poll panel over the SIR exercise. Speaking at a rally in Serampore, Banerjee said protests would continue until Kumar stepped down. “Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar must resign, otherwise protests will continue,” news agency PTI quoted her as saying.

Moreover, Mamata confirmed that INDIA bloc meeting was likely to be held in Delhi's Constitution Club on September 30. The proposed meeting comes amid closer coordination among the parties following reports of differences within the poll panel over aspects of the SIR exercise. The parties have been consulting each other on the issue and are working on a possible joint response.

Earlier, Banerjee had alleged that leaders and workers of her faction of the Trinamool Congress had been kept under house arrest to prevent them from attending the rally, while BJP workers had “taken over the route” to the venue. “We have been kept under house arrest. I am not allowed to go to the venue of the rally. But I will go and address the rally. Stop me if you can,” she said before leaving for the venue. Banerjee took an alternative route through Dankuni and Delhi Road to reach Serampore instead of Uttarpara. A police vehicle accompanied her convoy.

“BJP goons have taken over the route to the rally venue. There are no police personnel,” she alleged, referring to an alleged attack on TMC leaders travelling to the rally. Stones and eggs were allegedly thrown at TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh's car in Uttarpara as he travelled to the rally. A group carrying black flags reportedly surrounded his vehicle and shouted the “go black” slogan. Central forces were subsequently deployed in the area.

Banerjee accused the police and administration of failing to act against those responsible. “Such atrocities are seen in African countries. Such atrocities are not even happening in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which are also BJP-ruled. Then why has the ruling BJP unleashed so much terror on the streets (here)?” she said.

The West Bengal BJP rejected Banerjee's allegations as baseless. “When the people of the state have already rejected Mamata Banerjee and TMC in assembly elections, why would BJP attack them? No BJP workers was involved in the attack on Ghosh,” West Bengal BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said.