ECI Snatching Voting Rights Of People Through SIR: Mamata Banerjee On National Voters' Day

(MENAFN- IANS) Kolkata, Jan 25 (IANS) On the occasion of National Voters' Day, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday slammed the Election Commission of India for allegedly snatching the voting rights of people of West Bengal in the name of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Using her X handle, Banerjee said, "Election Commission of India is celebrating National Voters' Day today, and what a tragic farce that is! The Commission -- working as His Master's Voice-- is busy now in snatching away people's voting rights, and they have the temerity to celebrate Voters' Day! I am deeply distressed and disturbed by their conduct today."

The Chief Minister intensified her attack against the poll panel by saying it was working at the behest of the BJP government at the Centre.

"Instead of complying with the Hon'ble Supreme Court's verdict and working as per rules and norms to provide and protect the democratic voting rights of people, ECI is finding newer and newer pretexts in the name of logical discrepancy to harass the people and try to deny them and take away from them their electoral rights!" Banerjee wrote in the post.

She continued, "On behalf of BJP, their Master, they are busy in bulldozing the Opposition and destroying the foundation of Indian democracy, and yet they have the guts to celebrate Voters' Day!!"

Once again, the Chief Minister said that due to the SIR exercise and stress caused by the inhuman pressure, more than 130 people have died in West Bengal.

"ECI, you are torturing people today in an unprecedented manner. More than 130 persons have died because of your tortures. Can you summon-- the way you are doing-- persons above 85, 90, 95 years of age, and even physically challenged persons to physically appear before you to prove their credentials? The stress caused by this kind of illegal pressure is leading to series of suicides and deaths, and yet you are continuing to do this at the behest of your political masters. You have made it NRC trial for citizens, including particularly those belonging to minorities, scheduled castes and tribes," Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister concluded by saying that the ECI has no right to celebrate National Voters' Day following the harassment of the people.

"Elections are festivals of democracy. But your partisan conduct and unilateral illegalities, dispatch of micro-observers to compound the harassment, your push to people to jaws of death have been destroying our democracy. Today, you have no right to celebrate the Voters' Day!" Banerjee added.

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