New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that women voters were being targeted in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Union Minister of State Sukanta Majumdar on Wednesday accused her of spreading fear and falsehood.

Speaking to IANS, BJP leader Majumdar said, “Women of West Bengal have realised that if a situation like Bangladesh occurs, they cannot save themselves with their Laxmi Bhandar money. Women are aware of what happened with Dipu Chandra Das and the widow in Bangladesh, who was harassed just for being a Hindu, and that’s why Mamata is afraid.”

He further rejected the Chief Minister’s allegation that women voters were being targeted through the SIR process. “Mamata Banerjee has a habit of spreading falsehood. There is no question of targeting any woman. This time, women will vote against Mamata Banerjee. All women are ready,” MoS Majumdar said.

His remarks came a day after Chief Minister Banerjee accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of unilaterally deleting names from the draft electoral rolls during the SIR process in the state.

Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat, CM Banerjee alleged that nearly 54 lakh names were removed using the powers of electoral registration officers and claimed that the exercise was carried out to benefit the BJP.

Calling it a serious error, the Trinamool Congress chief said, “This is the biggest blunder of the ECI. They have played a game with the people to favour the BJP. They thought that by engaging in a black game and performing black magic, they would snatch the democratic rights of the people.”

“Names of 5.8 million voters were illegally and unethically struck off without giving them a chance to explain. Women, who have changed their surname or have shifted to a new address after marriage, have been targeted,” the Chief Minister said.

She further alleged that similar strategies were adopted in other states. “They did the same thing in Maharashtra, Haryana and Bihar. No one could understand what happened. When people came to understand after the final roll was published, they didn’t get justice, as the ECI had already announced the election dates by then. They have similar plans here,” CM Banerjee said, referring to the deletion of around 5.8 million names from the draft electoral roll published on December 16.

–IANS

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