Kolkata, Jul 27 (PTI) Congress workers staged a protest in Kolkata on Sunday, opposing the conduct of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The protest, held in Bhawanipur, was led by Congress leader Asutosh Chatterjee, who said the party rejects any plans to conduct SIR in the state. Assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled for mid-2026, while Bihar—where an SIR is currently underway—will go to polls later this year.
"The main issue is illegal immigration from Bangladesh," Chatterjee said, demanding that the international border between India and Bangladesh in West Bengal be fully fenced to prevent infiltration.
He alleged that the Election Commission was acting under pressure from the BJP. "Our national leadership has opposed the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, and we also oppose any such move in Bengal," he added.
Congress workers raised slogans against the SIR during the demonstration.
Chatterjee also questioned the claims made by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who had recently stated that 1.25 crore illegal immigrants have been added to the state's voter rolls. "How can he arrive at such a figure? These are baseless allegations," Chatterjee said.