Matua, minorities targeted in voter deletions: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that names of people belonging to the Matua and minority communities were deleted from the post-SIR voter rolls in the State.

Addressing a rally at Chakdaha in Nadia district, Banerjee said that the TMC will stand by those whose names were excluded from the voter rolls, following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

According to the latest Election Commission data, nearly 91 lakh voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls in West Bengal after the SIR process.

The poll panel is yet to announce the finally altered voter base for the State after the roll revision process.

As per official data released on February 28, 63.66 lakh names, around 8.3 per cent of the electorate, were deleted since the SIR process began in November last year, reducing the voter base from about 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore.

Accusing the Centre of discrimination, Banerjee alleged that names were being removed from voter rolls by targeting specific communities. “Why this discrimination? You are excluding Matuas, Rajbanshis and minorities. Do you think that people do not understand this?” the CM said.

She also claimed that in districts with significant minority populations, such as Murshidabad, Malda and North Dinajpur, names were “picked and removed like lice” from the electoral rolls.

Banerjee asserted that following her intervention in the Supreme Court, around 32 lakh names out of nearly 60 lakh cases under ‘adjudication’ had been restored.

“Those whose names are still missing should apply before the tribunal. The TMC will stand by you and provide legal support,” she said.

Questioning the Centre’s stand on infiltration, Banerjee said the Union Government has the responsibility of protecting the country’s borders, but it was blaming the West Bengal Government for infiltration.

Describing the upcoming Assembly polls as a battle to protect people’s identity and democratic rights, the TMC supremo urged voters to respond through the ballot.

“This election is a fight to save your democracy, language and respect so that no one can ever call you a foreigner,” Banerjee said.

At another poll rally in Bongaon, the CM asserted that the Trinamool Congress will win more seats than before, and form a Government for the fourth consecutive term.

“The TMC will ultimately win and get more seats than before,” she said.

The party had won 215 seats in the 2021 elections for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly.

“This election is to avenge the deletion of names from the voter list,” Banerjee said.

The TMC chief claimed that the names of 300 members of the Missionaries of Charity, which was formed by Mother Teresa, have been deleted in the electoral rolls revision exercise, and also those of monks of the Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevasram Sangha.

Banerjee also said that several names have been excluded from the rolls in Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Malda, South 24 Parganas and Nadia districts, while reiterating that in Bhabanipur constituency, where she is contesting for re-election, 40,000 names have been struck off.

“We will have to see how many names have been restored in the supplementary list... I will not allow detention camps to be set up (in Bengal). Constitutional rights must be given, and I will continue to fight for restoration of these,” she said.

In a bid to woo the Matua community, who have a strong presence in several Assembly constituencies in North 24 Parganas and Nadia district, Banerjee said that her Government has initiated a lot of development works in those areas.

The CM also accused the BJP of trying to divide the Matua community votes.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee claimed that he had lunch with leaders of Gulf countries and hugged them, with religion not becoming a barrier.

“When you go to Gulf countries, you hug the Muslim rulers,” she said.

Banerjee also claimed that cattle is exported from the country, but it does not become an issue as to whether that is right or wrong.

“Their (BJP) religion is to divide votes, that is not Hinduism,” the TMC chief added.