‘Will Shake Up India if You Hit Me’: Mamata Banerjee Warns BJP, ECI Over Special Voter Roll Revision

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday sharply criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral roll, warning that the first draft list would be a “disaster.”

Speaking at a rally in Bongaon, a BJP stronghold in North 24 Parganas district, Banerjee alleged that the revision was being rushed to serve political interests. “Take three years to conduct the SIR—I will help with all my resources. You cannot do it in two months. All sorts of wrong data are being fed. The draft list will be a disaster,” she said before leading a three-kilometre march.

Banerjee accused the BJP of influencing the process and claimed the SIR had created fear among residents. “In the past, people decided who would form the government. Now the government is deciding who will cast the vote,” she said, adding that Aadhaar, PAN and bank documents were being disregarded.

She also questioned the ECI’s decision to order the SIR in West Bengal rather than BJP-ruled Assam, saying, “If the purpose is to identify Bangladeshis, why not conduct it there, or in Manipur and Mizoram?”

Addressing the Matua community—an influential Dalit group with roots in Bangladesh—Banerjee warned that applying for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) amounted to declaring oneself a Bangladeshi. “Don’t be scared. Nobody can drive you away as long as I am here,” she said.

The BJP, which has claimed the SIR will detect at least 10 million Muslim Bangladeshi infiltrators, has been assuring Matuas that the CAA protects them. The Centre recently issued an order allowing non-Muslim Bangladeshis who entered India on or before December 31, 2024 to stay even without documents.

Banerjee accused a faction of the All India Matua Mahasangha, led by Union minister Shantanu Thakur, of misleading community members by issuing religion certificates and membership cards. She also slammed the BJP for “scaring people,” manipulating voter rolls, and using agencies and paramilitary forces to influence elections.

She further alleged that several booth-level officers had died due to the pressure of the SIR, including one who reportedly left a suicide note. “They have created AI. If Mamata Banerjee’s name is deleted, another Mamata Banerjee will replace it. This is the BJP’s new plan,” she said, reiterating concerns over EVM malfunctioning and alleged intimidation by security forces.

Banerjee also claimed she was delayed for the rally because her helicopter was denied permission to fly. Government officials, however, said the aircraft’s licence had expired and the operator was issued a show-cause notice.

Responding to her remarks, Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said Banerjee was “misleading people” out of fear of electoral defeat. “As far as infiltrators from Bangladesh are concerned, our stand is clear—they will be detected and their names deleted before deportation,” he said.