- Some parties are hindering the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Amit Shah said
- This came a day after Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the ongoing SIR exercisewas "dangerous"
- West Bengal will go to the polls next year
Some political parties are trying to "protect infiltrators" by hindering the process for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across states, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday.
Shah did not specify any political party but his remarks came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the ongoing SIR exercise in the poll-bound state was "chaotic, coercive and dangerous".
"Stopping infiltration in India is not only necessary for the country's security, but it is also essential to prevent infiltration in order to protect the country's democratic system from being polluted," Shah said in a post on X in Hindi.
"But unfortunately, some political parties have embarked on a journey to protect these infiltrators, and they are against the purification work being carried out by the Election Commission in the voter list," he added.
In a strongly worded letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Thursday, Banerjee said the SIR has reached a "deeply alarming stage" and alleged the drive was being run in an "unplanned, dangerous" manner that had "crippled the system from day one".
"The manner in which this exercise is being forced upon officials and citizens is not only unplanned and chaotic, but also dangerous," the Chief Minister wrote, adding that the absence of "basic preparedness, adequate planning or clear communication" had pushed the process into disarray.
She also accused the Election Commission (EC) of thrusting the SIR upon officials and citizens "without basic preparedness", flagging "critical gaps in training", confusion over mandatory documents, and the "near-impossibility" of booth-level officers (BLOs) meeting voters "in the midst of their livelihood schedules".
Her three-page letter painted a grim portrait of BLOs stretched "far beyond human limits", juggling their principal duties, "many being teachers and frontline workers", while conducting door-to-door surveys and navigating glitch-ridden e-submissions.
Most BLOs, Banerjee said, were "struggling with online forms due to lack of training, server failures and repeated data mismatches".
"At this pace, it is almost certain that by December 4, voter data across multiple constituencies cannot be uploaded with required accuracy," she warned.
Under "extreme pressure and fear of punitive action", many were being pushed to make "incorrect or incomplete entries", risking disenfranchisement of genuine voters and "eroding the integrity of the electoral roll", she added.
These failures, she warned, had rendered the entire exercise "structurally unsound" and placed its "credibility at severe risk".
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The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief urged Kumar to "intervene decisively to halt" the drive, stop "coercive measures", provide proper training and support, and "thoroughly reassess" the current methodology and timelines.
"If this path is not corrected without delay, the consequences for the system, the officials and the citizens will be irreversible," she cautioned, calling the moment one that demands "responsibility, humanity and decisive corrective action".
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dismissed Banerjee's charges and accused her of trying to derail a lawful process.
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Leader of Opposition in Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari also wrote a letter to Kumar, accusing Banerjee of trying to "undermine" the Election Commission and "shield an illicit vote-bank" her party has "nurtured for years".
He dismissed Banerjee's portrayal of the SIR as a "chaotic and disruptive" initiative, arguing that similar revision drives have been "part of the EC's toolkit since the 1950s," including the extensive exercise in 2002-03.
"The Chief Minister's letter is a calculated attempt to sow discord among election officials, discredit the ECI's constitutional mandate and protect a vote-bank of ineligible and illegal elements her government has nurtured for years," Adhikari asserted.
He accused Banerjee of "intimidating" booth level officers and making "unacceptable insinuations" against the CEC.
"Such conduct from the head of a state government must be condemned," he said.
