Since the inception of the SIR in West Bengal, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has been targeted by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over various issues. During a press conference at the Banga Bhavan on Tuesday, she hinted at a significant action against the CEC – his impeachment.
Yesterday, after exiting the ECI office here, Mamata, in a blistering attack on Gyanesh Kumar, labelled him a ‘liar’.
The chief minister held a press conference on Mangolbar at the Banga Bhavan, along with the families affected by the SIR exercise, with her nephew Abhishek Bhattacharya, the All India General Secretary of the Trinamool Congress, sitting beside her.
During the press conference, she once again voiced concerns against the indiscretion of the CEC. Subsequently, responding to questions from the journalists, she mentioned the impeachment of Gyanesh Kumar, stating, “Gyanesh Kumar has threatened and misbehaved (with the TMC delegation). The CEC is targeting the Trinamool and was pointing fingers at Abhishek. I slammed the table and said, “Do not shout. You may not be in the chair tomorrow.”
Yesterday, the CEC faced a boycott from the Bengal CM and her team during their visit to the ECI office. A day later, she upped her ante against the commission.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi too had had hinted at the impeachment of the CEC when he said if they came to power in the near future, they would devise legal provisions to take action against the incumbent CEC with retrospective effect and hold him accountable for his omissions and commissions.
Concurring with Mamata the proposal, she expressed her desire to initiate a no-confidence motion against the CEC in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha once they have the necessary numbers to remove him from office. She said she at least wants to document her efforts to bring impeachment against the CEC.
In response to a query whether there can be any future legislation to take action against the current CEC and other election commissioners, Mamata Banerjee said, “If something is genuine, practical, and for the benefit of the public, we would want him impeached. We do not have the numbers. However, impeachment is possible. There is a provision for it. A record will be made. If it acts in such a manner, we will discuss with our MPs and work together in the interest of the people. We have no objections to this.”
Why is SIR being implemented only in Bengal, and not in the BJP-ruled states? The question has already been raised by the Trinamool Congress. “Minority communities constitute 33% of the population in the state. Are you suggesting that the names of these 33% individuals should be excluded? We work for people of all religions, castes, and communities. You are unaware of how Christians celebrate their festivals in Bengal. People from all communities and religions celebrate their own festivals. During the time of the Freedom at Midnight, Gandhi was in Bengal. We honour figures like Lal, Bal, and Bhagat Singh. Why then are they targeting Bengal? The reason is that they cannot engage in a politically democratic struggle in Bengal.”
A total of 50 voters are listed as ‘deceased’ in the election commission’s records despite being alive. They have been brought to Delhi and are currently at the Banga Bhavan. On Tuesday, the chief minister arrived at the Bhavan to meet with them. From there, she launched a scathing attack on the election commission and the BJP government. Mamata sounded a warning from Banga Bhavan, “The Trinamool Congress will fight alone in Bengal.”
Highlighting the situation arising from the wake of SIR in the state, the chief minister said, “A super emergency has been prevalent in Bengal for six months under which the administration is unable to function.”
Giving a detailed account of the predicament her administration is facing, she said a significant number of government employees, teachers, and officials have been assigned the SIR responsibilities. This has also impacted administrative tasks, with discussions regarding teachers’ issues occurring even before the secondary examinations.
The SIR process is nearing completion, and the State Election Commission will soon announce the final voter list. Prior to this, the chief minister had raised concerns over the removal of names from the voter list.
During the press conference, she said, “A significant number of voters’ names have been removed from all Trinamool assembly constituencies. In the Bandar assembly constituency alone, nearly 70,000 names are excluded. It appears 100% of the Trinamool names are being removed, with perhaps one or two from other parties to save face.
The CM also mentioned that he (the CEC) was unable to answer any of their queries regarding the removal of voters’ names. “When we inquired with the commission, they claimed to be unaware of the situation. Even a murder suspect is given the opportunity to defend himself. However, the rights of a Delhi zamindar has been stripped of his right.”
“We will not give up an inch of land… If you have the power, fight democratically!” Mamata challenged the authorities from the heart of Delhi.
The Trinamool leader effectively sounded the election bugle from Delhi. In a counter-challenge to the BJP, she asserted that her party will win in even more constituencies.
After the press conference, a confident Mamata stated that she would return to Delhi after winning the elections. “I will come to Delhi after winning the elections. Then I will treat you to some good sweets,” she remarked.
Following this, with a tinge of humour, Mamata told the journalists, “Not Delhi’s laddoos.”
In response to questions from the press, Mamata made it clear that the SIR phase will have no impact on the elections in Bengal.
The journalists had asked her regarding the strategy of the Trinamool Congress for the upcoming assembly elections in Bengal following the SIR. In response, Mamata stated, “We have numerous MPs, MLAs, block presidents, and booth presidents. I will not make any decisions unilaterally. We are a democratic party. We will not concede even an inch of land. Our team is very strong; we have all the accounts in order,” she said emphatically, adding, “Don’t worry, if they remove our members from the lists, then BJP supporters will vote for us.”
The chief minister directly interacted with the relatives of the affected individuals and inquired about their circumstances. On this day, the family members of the victims are also protesting while wearing black clothing. They are holding placards around their necks. The chief minister assures them that medical arrangements are in place and that if there are any health issues, two doctors can be consulted immediately. From there, the press conference commenced.
“Those who are seated behind me are all victims of the SIR. We could have brought more people. The journalists from Delhi are unaware of what is truly happening in Bengal. Just look at what is occurring in Parliament; I am not a member of Parliament, but from what I observe, see the condition of the opposition. Therefore, we thought it best for you to witness it firsthand. We have brought people regardless of their nationality, religion, or caste,” she said.
She further stated, “The commission may announce the elections this month. There are only a few months left before that, why the rush to conduct the SIR? Among the four states where elections are taking place, SIR is not being conducted in Assam. This is because there is a double-engine government there! By misusing AI, they have arbitrarily excluded 5.8 million names!”
He mentioned that he has written six letters, and our delegation has met with them—yet no resolution has been reached. He expressed respect for the highest court, so he would refrain from commenting on that. However, to protect democracy, my primary statement is that the last SIR in Bengal was conducted in 2002. Why, after 24 years, is the SIR being conducted suddenly before the elections, she asked