Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress on Friday hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, accusing him of using the “infiltrator rhetoric” to target West Bengal and alleging that the Centre had failed on national security.
The party also demanded that Shah step down from his post.
Senior minister Shashi Panja said Shah went to Gujarat and spoke about infiltrators, democracy and national security, but “the reality is a deep sense of insecurity across the country.”
Panja accused Shah of distorting facts and “diverting attention from failures by pointing fingers at Bengal.” “When there are lapses in Delhi, the BJP reads from its old script and blames Bengal. It is a tired, predictable strategy,” she said.
She said the SIR in Bengal had turned into a “punishing, coercive” exercise.
“The last SIR in 2002 took two years. Now Bengal is being forced to complete it in two months,” she said.
She cited the Chief Minister’s letter to the CEC about “undue haste” and “inhuman pressure.” “BLOs are being threatened, overworked and pushed to breaking point. Thirty-one lives have already been lost in this SIR-driven climate of fear,” she claimed.
Panja accused the BJP of wanting to “capture Bengal by intimidation.” “You want Bengal to be afraid. You are manufacturing panic. But Bengal will resist,” she said.
She added that the BJP continued to be seen as “bairagato”, outsiders, and anti-Bengal.
