KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that she won’t let anyone’s voting rights be taken away.
Addressing a rally of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the students’ wing of the Trinamool Congress, Mamata reiterated that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is working at the behest of the BJP.
"You must yourself check whether your names are still there or have been struck off from the voters' list...You must ensure you have Aadhar cards," she told the rally.
"I will not let anyone take away people's voting rights till I am alive," she added.
Mamata claimed that the BJP has deployed over 500 teams in West Bengal to conduct surveys aimed at deleting names of voters from the electoral rolls.
“They are doing door to door survey so as to find out whose names can be deleted. If someone comes to your door seeking information, don't give information. They will take details from you and delete your name. Go to your polling station and verify if your name is there or not. Keep your Aadhaar card with you. Aadhaar card has been made compulsory," she said.
"The EC is threatening our officers. Its jurisdiction is only for the three months during elections, not throughout the year," she claimed.
Banerjee alleged that the BJP was trying to make people forget the role played by Bengalis during the freedom movement.
“If there is no Bengali language, then how does Jana Gana Mana become the national anthem? What is the language in which our national song Vande Mataram is written? They want people to forget the historical role played by Bengalis in the freedom movement. We will not tolerate this linguistic terror,” she said, while alleging that the predecessors of the saffron party were agents of the British who gave undertakings to get out of jails.
Continuing attacks on BJP, she further said, “You take away people's rights. You oppress poor people by calling them Bangladeshis. I think poor people are my heart, my greatest talent. I don't accept caste. I accept humanity.”
Banerjee also alleged that the Central Agencies become hyper-active during election time.
“Earlier, no Central Agency worked at the behest of the BJP. The Agencies did not follow the instruction of any political party,” she added.
The Trinamool Congress Chairperson also hit out at the CPI(M)-led Left, accusing it of “joining hands” with the BJP to take on her.
Earlier, addressing the TMCP foundation day rally at Mayo Road in Kolkata, Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee said, “I would request you to keep protesting against SIR. If even one person is denied their right, then 10 lakh Bengalis will march to Delhi, gherao Rajpath, and prove their might.”
Exuding confidence that the BJP would not cross 50 seats in the 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal, he stated, “Everyone is against Trinamool: the judiciary, BJP, central agencies, ED, press, CBI, EC. But 10 crore Bengalis are for Trinamool. Come fight us: 10 crore Bengalis on one side and the Centre’s ED, CBI on the other. However, many seats we got last time, I can promise you we will win more this time.