Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], March 2 : Congress on Monday carried out a protest march from Bankshall Court to the West Bengal State Election Commission in Kolkata, against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, demanding an explaination over the alleged removal of voters' names from the list.
Congress leader Ashutosh Chatterjee questioned the Election Commission's (EC) silence on the alleged removal of genuine voters' names from the electoral rolls and said that there will be protests until an efficient answer is provided and announced a dharna on Friday.
"What is the reason behind the removal of genuine voters' names today? The Election Commission is silent. The full reason for this must be audited and made public. Otherwise, there will be strong protests, and we will hold a dharna on the 6th March," he told ANI.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar also expressed anguish against the EC and asked the court to ensure no genuine voter is removed from the rolls.
"A genuine voter who can't vote won't be on the voter list. What is the logical explanation behind this? The Election Commission is saying that the judiciary knows everything. We have nothing to do with this. We are raising our voice against the Election Commission and demanding that the Court ensure that the names of genuine voters are not removed from the list. We will stay on the streets for the welfare of the people," he stated.
He further questioned Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, asking how the revision exercise was conducted despite her stern rebellion.
"Mamata Banerjee herself said that she would not allow SIR, then why did it happen? Why didn't she call an all-party meeting?" Sarkar asked.
Earlier, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday said that Mamata Banerjee will stage a dharna (protest) at Metro Channel (Esplanade) on March 6 from 2:00 pm against alleged discrepancies in the state's SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of voter lists.
Addressing a press conference, Abhishek Banerjee said, "Mamata Banerjee to stage a dharna in Kolkata on 6th March against the alleged discrepancies in the SIR list."
Banerjee raised concerns over multiple inconsistencies in the final SIR list, alleging that the names of common voters were forcibly deleted to meet pre-set targets. He claimed that many people, including 243 individuals who reached out to him, were listed as dead despite being alive.
"There are many inconsistencies in the final list of SIR; the names of common voters were forcibly deleted to meet their target. The target was set in advance. That's the reason why so much harassment of the poor and common people. I have received calls from 243 people since yesterday who claim to be alive but are listed as dead on this SIR list," he said.