New Delhi, Oct 10 (IANS) In a heated political exchange over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Friday accused the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee government of protecting illegal voters as vote banks.

Tarun Chugh contended that allowing foreign nationals into voter lists is a direct threat to India’s democratic integrity.

“The government of Mamata Banerjee, with its cruelty and carelessness, is trying to protect illegal voters and use them as vote banks. How can foreign nationals be included in India’s voter lists and influence the formation of government? This is a direct attack on the country’s democratic system and integrity…” Chugh declared.

In response to CM Banerjee’s allegation that the Centre plans to use SIR as a cover for implementing a National Register of Citizens (NRC)-type exercise, BJP spokesperson Yasir Jilani accused Opposition leaders of opportunistic politics.

“Whether it is Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav, or Rahul Gandhi, these leaders think in a very calculative manner. They latch onto one issue and keep exploiting it continuously. Now it is Mamata Banerjee’s turn. These leaders have a selfish mindset because their vote bank, especially among Opposition supporters, is highly sensitive…” Jilani said.

Meanwhile, the BJP’s Bihar state chief Dilip Jaiswal chimed in with his own commentary, pointing to Bihar’s electoral response.

“The people of Bihar have clearly shown their stance. Bihar’s voters have deflated the SIR issue, like puncturing a tire. Despite Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav campaigning extensively across Bihar, with over a crore voters firmly supporting the Election Commission’s direction, their issue has lost momentum…” Jaiswal remarked.

Earlier, CM Banerjee had launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission and the BJP, accusing them of “playing with fire” by undertaking what she described as a politically-motivated revision of electoral rolls. She claimed that the SIR process was being manipulated to eliminate legitimate voters and pave the way for an NRC‑style cleansing.

She also accused ECI officials of acting under political influence and putting pressure on her state’s officials even before her administration’s term and the schedule for Bengal’s Assembly elections were announced.

–IANS

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