Mamata to Move Court on Jan 6 Against 'Arbitrary' SIR; Flags Human Suffering, BJP Hits Back

PTI, January 05, 2026, Gangasagar : Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that she would move court against the Election Commission's (EC) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, alleging fear, harassment, and administrative arbitrariness that she claimed had led to deaths and hospitalisations. This move escalates her confrontation with the poll body ahead of the assembly elections.

Addressing a government programme at Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas, one of the worst-hit districts in terms of voter deletions during the first phase of the SIR, Banerjee intensified her criticism of the EC. She accused the commission of using opaque digital processes, including artificial intelligence and informal platforms, to arbitrarily delete names from electoral rolls, undermining democratic safeguards.

Responding to her statement, the BJP said that Mamata Banerjee could approach the court, but it would not help her "protect infiltrators" who are part of her vote bank.

"This is a fight for existence. We are seeking legal help. So many people have died due to SIR. We are moving court tomorrow against the inhumane treatment and the death of so many people due to the SIR," Banerjee said, adding that she was prepared to escalate the legal battle if necessary.

The Chief Minister, who has legal training, mentioned that she would seek permission to approach the Supreme Court not as a lawyer but as an ordinary citizen. "If necessary, I will go to the Supreme Court and plead for the people. I will speak for the people," she said.

Banerjee alleged a "technological conspiracy", claiming that opaque digital processes had replaced due process, with artificial intelligence and informal platforms being used to remove names from the voter list. "Artificial Intelligence has emerged now. Using images and voices, lies can be spread. Names are being removed using AI," she said. She also claimed that lakhs of names had been deleted without voters being given adequate opportunity to respond through statutory forms.

"AI is deciding whose surname has changed, who got married, which girl has gone to her in-laws' house. Even a murderer gets a chance to defend himself. Here, people's names are being removed," Banerjee said, asserting that routine events like marriage, address changes, or minor spelling mismatches were being used as reasons for deletions.

On December 16, the Election Commission published the draft electoral roll following the first phase of the SIR, showing a reduction in the electorate from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore after the deletion of over 58 lakh names. The second phase, which began on December 27, involves hearings for 1.67 crore electors under scrutiny, including 1.36 crore flagged for logical discrepancies and 31 lakh whose records lack mapping.

With elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly due in three months, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is seeking a fourth consecutive term in power.

Banerjee also alleged that government-issued documents, such as caste certificates, were being ignored during verification and questioned the conduct of the poll body, accusing it of being "run on WhatsApp". She urged citizens to verify their names on the draft rolls despite the hardship.

"If people's rights are taken away, you too will vanish," she warned Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, emphasising that this was a "struggle for survival and to protect rights."

The CM claimed that elderly citizens, pregnant women, and voters on oxygen support were being called for hearings. "After living in this country for so long, do they still need to prove that they are voters and citizens?" she asked. Banerjee alleged that nearly 70 people had died since the exercise began, and several others had attempted suicide.

"Two months, nearly 70 people have died. Does no heart ache? If your 85-year-old mother were dragged into an ambulance, what answer would Delhi's leaders give?" she said, questioning whether those ordering deletions had ensured that their own parents had all required certificates.

Banerjee also criticised the pace of the revision, arguing that voter list corrections should take place over two years rather than in a few months. "We want names to be included, not excluded. Why this coercion?" she said.

Questioning the relevance of documents being demanded, Banerjee pointed out that Aadhaar cards were issued by the government after charging fees but were now being rendered meaningless. She stressed that her party was not opposed to verification, but objected to its "coercive implementation."

The TMC leader also mentioned that documentation norms had evolved over generations, citing her own experience of being born at home.

The escalation of the issue comes a day after Banerjee wrote to the CEC urging an immediate halt to what she called an "arbitrary and flawed" SIR.

In response, senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari said Banerjee was free to approach the judiciary but would not be able to "protect infiltrators who are the TMC's core vote bank." The EC and the BJP have rejected allegations of arbitrariness, maintaining that the SIR is aimed at ensuring clean and accurate electoral rolls.

Banerjee also alleged the intimidation of Bengali-speaking migrants in BJP-ruled states and challenged what she described as majoritarian politics. "I dare them to kill me, but I will not stop speaking my mother tongue, Bengali. Is it a crime now?" she asked.

She accused the BJP of following a pattern of pre-poll inducements followed by repression. "They will give Rs 10,000 before elections and use the bulldozer once it's over," she said. "You can torture as much as you want, it won't yield results."