- By Priyanka Koul
- Wed, 03 Dec 2025 04:08 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reassured the people of Malda that no one would be sent to a detention centre as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. She stressed that she stood with the people as their protector.
Mamata further claimed that the BJP had deliberately initiated the SIR process in the state ahead of the upcoming elections. Under the SIR process, individuals who lack proper documentation or fail to meet citizenship criteria could potentially be sent to detention centres.
"Malda residents, don't worry, no one will be sent to a detention centre. I am here as your protector. The camp will begin on 12th December in all blocks. If you have any questions or need help with your documents, we are here to assist you. They know the elections are coming, with the announcement due in February, and that’s why they’ve started this process now, cleverly. The Home Department is handling it, but I will stop you from implementing your plans. Don’t worry about the SIR," said Mamata. She also criticised the BJP for labelling anyone who speaks Bengali as a "Bangladeshi." "You have no right to declare someone who speaks Bengali a Bangladeshi," she added.
Mamata also accused the central government of neglecting Bengal by failing to provide the funds it had requested. Despite multiple letters to the union government, she said, they had received no response.
"The only tax we have is GST. The central government is not giving funds to Bengal. If you are trying to create an emergency situation, the people will respond. We’ve written to them many times, but they haven’t replied. We need funds for the Adivasi, Santhali, Kuruk, and other backward communities," Mamata said.
The Chief Minister further argued that the BJP was making a mistake by pushing forward with the SIR process in Bengal, predicting that the party would receive no support from the people in the state.
"The BJP is digging its own grave with the SIR process. You may have won in Bihar, but you will not win Bengal. The people here will not support you," she asserted.
Earlier, on November 26, Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of undermining people's rights and threatened the Booth Level Officers (BLOs), warning that they could face imprisonment and lose their jobs.
"I can't say much about this, but I have records of what the families have said. I know who died by suicide and who died due to trauma. Many people are still taking their own lives. Who is responsible for the BLOs’ deaths in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan? Why was this process rushed? The BJP is stripping people of their rights. They threaten BLOs, saying they’ll be jailed and lose their jobs. I want to ask, how long will your job last? Even without you, democracy will survive," Mamata warned.
Meanwhile, the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process by the Election Commission of India (ECI), which began on November 4, has already flagged over 46 lakh names for exclusion from the voter list. As per the latest figures from the digitisation of the enumeration forms, 46.30 lakh names are currently under review. As of October 27, the total number of registered voters in West Bengal stood at 7,66,37,529.
- 6.40 lakh voters are classified as "untraceable," meaning booth-level officers (BLOs) were unable to deliver enumeration forms to them.
- 16.22 lakh voters have been identified as "shifted voters," indicating they have permanently moved due to reasons such as marriage or employment.
- 1.05 lakh voters are listed under the "duplicate voters" category, referring to individuals who are registered in multiple locations.
( With Inputs from Agencies )