A day after taking on the Centre amid the SIR row, Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Thursday once again targeted the government as she
questioned the immunity provision for the chief election commissioner and election commissioners under a 2023 law. The former Bengal CM alleged that the people of India would not forgive those responsible for taking away people’s voting rights. Mamata questioned the immunity provision under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which provides protection from civil or criminal proceedings for acts done in the discharge or purported discharge of official duties. She said, "If somebody is in charge of taking care of the election process and democracy, as per the Constitution and the obligations of democracy, then no issue. We respect that. But if somebody, because of immunity, is sitting in a chair."
2023 Law Gives Legal Immunity To CEC, ECs
The 2023 law provides protection to a serving or former CEC or EC from civil or criminal proceedings for an act, thing, or word committed, done, or spoken in the course of acting or purporting to act in the discharge of official duty or function.
Addressing a presser, Mamata Banerjee also alleged the deletion of voters in West Bengal, saying areas won by TMC saw higher deletions.
BJP Will Go This Time, Won't Have To Wait For 2029
Issuing a warning for the BJP-led government, Mamata said that this time the BJP will go. "Don't even have to wait till 2029. You will get good news soon."
"There is currently talk about 'Vanish Kumar', the person who is the present in-charge, the one responsible for safeguarding the public's citizenship and voting rights… He is the one who worked to deprive people of their rights. How can we forgive him?... I represent the people of India... We spoke up back then about how the Election Commission centralized the EVM machines, the counting, and the election process, effectively capturing the entire system. We even approached the courts, but we received no justice. We visited the Election Commission's office with 100 victims, and they treated us with great disrespect...," Mamata Banerjee said.
Opposing SIR Since The Beginning, Says Mamata
TMC had opposed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in West Bengal right from the beginning and alleged that the exercise was centralised by the Election Commission (EC).
Further speaking on voter deletions, Banerjee claimed that the exercise disproportionately affected constituencies and areas won by the TMC in the West Bengal Assembly polls held earlier in the year.
"Wherever we won, four times more voters were cut," she said.
The TMC chief also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had "masterminded" incidents involving the burning of around 4,000 electronic voting machines (EVMs) in West Bengal.
She further alleged that the TMC and its workers are facing restrictions and harassment in West Bengal.
"I am not allowed to move out of my house without a court order. Our party is not allowed to hold meetings. Cases have been registered against our workers. Even at my residence, there is no security, nothing.
"Every day, 200-300 hooligans are coming, shouting and doing hooliganism in front of my house. Now, after 8 p.m., no one is on the road," Banerjee said.
With inputs from PTI
