NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of acting as a "stooge of the BJP" and making a “backdoor attempt to implement the NRC” under the guise of a special revision of electoral rolls.
"This looks to be more dangerous than the NRC," she warned, calling on all opposition parties to resist what she described as a "dangerous game" threatening India’s democracy.
Addressing a press conference from Digha in East Medinipur, where she’s overseeing preparations for Friday’s Rath Yatra, the TMC supremo said she had received two lengthy letters from the ECI containing new rules targeting voters born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004.
"I have received two letters from the ECI, each comprising 25-30 pages. I haven't been able to go through them in detail so far. But from what I have understood from a cursory glance, the Commission is now seeking a declaration form from voters born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, which is Annexure D in one of the letters, where they will have to submit birth certificates of both parents as proof of citizenship," she said, according to news agency PTI.
"I don't understand the reason behind the ECI move or the rationale behind selecting these dates. This is nothing short of a scam. I seek clarification from the Commission on whether they are trying to implement the NRC through backdoors. In fact, this looks to be more dangerous than the NRC, which every political party in opposition must resist," Banerjee added.
She futher claimed the BJP’s real target was Bengal, not Bihar, where assembly elections are due later this year.
“Nothing will happen in Bihar because the BJP rules that state… They want to delete the names of valid young voters. Many parents will not be able to furnish their birth certificates,” she said, alleging that migrant workers, students, villagers, and uneducated voters were being selectively targeted.
Banerjee also accused the ECI of bypassing political parties and serving the agenda of a “certain RSS pracharak” running the country -- an indirect reference to Union home minister Amit Shah.
"How can the ECI do this unilaterally without consulting the recognised political parties at the central and state levels who play a key role in running the country's democratic structure? They are treating us like bonded labourers and doing this only to fulfil the wishes of a certain RSS pracharak who is now running the country for all practical purposes," she said.
Citing an earlier ECI letter asking for details of TMC booth-level agents, she asked: "Why should I reveal the names of my booth agents? So that the BJP can purchase them?"
The West Bengal CM alleged that the BJP, with ECI’s support, was trying to enlist outsiders in Bengal's voter rolls while deleting genuine voters.
“We ask the poll panel not to pressurise common people to accept their verdict. My humble request to the EC is that it should act impartially like it is expected to,” she said.
Calling on opposition parties across India to take note, Banerjee said, “This ploy is now clear as daylight. We are the first to respond. But I urge the other opposition parties to take serious note of this and build resistance.”
"Citizens should keep a keen eye on their status in electoral roles till the very end. Else they might find their names struck off and sent to detention camps. That's the intention of the BJP," she said, adding, "our party will build up people's resistance against this and we will soon hit the streets.”
"This looks to be more dangerous than the NRC," she warned, calling on all opposition parties to resist what she described as a "dangerous game" threatening India’s democracy.
Addressing a press conference from Digha in East Medinipur, where she’s overseeing preparations for Friday’s Rath Yatra, the TMC supremo said she had received two lengthy letters from the ECI containing new rules targeting voters born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004.
"I have received two letters from the ECI, each comprising 25-30 pages. I haven't been able to go through them in detail so far. But from what I have understood from a cursory glance, the Commission is now seeking a declaration form from voters born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, which is Annexure D in one of the letters, where they will have to submit birth certificates of both parents as proof of citizenship," she said, according to news agency PTI.
"I don't understand the reason behind the ECI move or the rationale behind selecting these dates. This is nothing short of a scam. I seek clarification from the Commission on whether they are trying to implement the NRC through backdoors. In fact, this looks to be more dangerous than the NRC, which every political party in opposition must resist," Banerjee added.
She futher claimed the BJP’s real target was Bengal, not Bihar, where assembly elections are due later this year.
“Nothing will happen in Bihar because the BJP rules that state… They want to delete the names of valid young voters. Many parents will not be able to furnish their birth certificates,” she said, alleging that migrant workers, students, villagers, and uneducated voters were being selectively targeted.
Banerjee also accused the ECI of bypassing political parties and serving the agenda of a “certain RSS pracharak” running the country -- an indirect reference to Union home minister Amit Shah.
"How can the ECI do this unilaterally without consulting the recognised political parties at the central and state levels who play a key role in running the country's democratic structure? They are treating us like bonded labourers and doing this only to fulfil the wishes of a certain RSS pracharak who is now running the country for all practical purposes," she said.
Citing an earlier ECI letter asking for details of TMC booth-level agents, she asked: "Why should I reveal the names of my booth agents? So that the BJP can purchase them?"
The West Bengal CM alleged that the BJP, with ECI’s support, was trying to enlist outsiders in Bengal's voter rolls while deleting genuine voters.
“We ask the poll panel not to pressurise common people to accept their verdict. My humble request to the EC is that it should act impartially like it is expected to,” she said.
Calling on opposition parties across India to take note, Banerjee said, “This ploy is now clear as daylight. We are the first to respond. But I urge the other opposition parties to take serious note of this and build resistance.”
"Citizens should keep a keen eye on their status in electoral roles till the very end. Else they might find their names struck off and sent to detention camps. That's the intention of the BJP," she said, adding, "our party will build up people's resistance against this and we will soon hit the streets.”
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