TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that “logical discrepancy” under the SIR exercise is not an officially recognised term within the Election Commission framework and was being selectively applied in West Bengal, unlike in Bihar, to benefit the BJP.
Addressing a public rally at Pingla in Paschim Medinipur district, Banerjee urged women to “stand firm” if any attempt is made to prevent people from voting, while asserting that she was not calling for violence.
“There is no officially recognised term like ‘logical discrepancy’ under the framework of the Election Commission. It is being selectively applied in West Bengal, unlike in Bihar, to benefit the BJP,” she said.
Banerjee added that she had not seen a “dirty party” like the BJP.
“The job of the central police is to maintain peace. We have no objection to that. But what if they prevent people from voting? I will request women to keep brooms in their hands and stand firm against those wearing boots and carrying arms. I am not asking you to assault anyone or incite a riot, but you must do everything to safeguard your rights,” she said.
“I even moved the Supreme Court to protect your rights, and only after that, the names of 32 lakh voters were enlisted,” she added.
Later, addressing another rally in Tamluk in Purba Medinipur district, Banerjee questioned the deployment of a large number of central forces in the state.
“They have brought in officers who are close to the BJP and replaced the ICs. If your sole aim was to keep peace here, you could have used the West Bengal Police. Why, instead of doing that, did you take away all their powers and bring in central forces from outside? People don’t see central forces during any natural calamity or riot,” she alleged.
The Chief Minister also asked people to lodge complaints against any police officer if they were “tortured”.
“Lodge complaints whenever police torture you,” she said.
Urging voters to reject the BJP, Banerjee said, “The BJP has snatched everything from you… Voting against it would be your only way to take revenge.”
She also alleged that the BJP was holding rallies in locations with direct railway connectivity to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to bring in crowds from those states.
Banerjee further claimed that ahead of the elections, “instructions have been given to arrest booth agents”.
She said the TMC would defeat the BJP through what she described as “a strong political fight”.
Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.
(With inputs from PTI)