Former West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday intensified her attack on the BJP and the Election Commission of India over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, calling for a coordinated opposition movement against the poll panel.
Addressing a public rally at Serampore Court Maidan in Hooghly district, Banerjee issued a political warning to the BJP-led Centre, declaring, “You took Bengal, we will take Delhi.”
The Trinamool leader also renewed her appeal for opposition unity, saying that parties across the INDIA bloc should set aside their differences and come together to address concerns surrounding the Election Commission and the electoral revision exercise.
As reported by NTT earlier, Banerjee said she had reached out to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to initiate discussions among opposition parties. According to her, a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders is likely to take place at the Constitution Club in New Delhi on September 30.
“I sent a message to Rahul Gandhi, telling him that we must sit together,” Banerjee said, adding that opposition parties needed to coordinate their response to the developments involving the poll panel.
The proposed meeting is expected to discuss the Election Commission's functioning, the SIR exercise and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, amid protests by opposition parties over the electoral process.
Banerjee's renewed outreach comes at a time when several opposition leaders have raised questions about the conduct of the poll panel. The meeting, if held as proposed, could provide a platform for discussions on a common course of action.
‘There is no need to see who is red, blue or yellow’
Emphasising the need for cooperation, Banerjee said ideological and political differences should not prevent parties from joining hands on issues affecting democratic rights.
“There is no need to see who is red, who is blue or who is yellow,” she said, underlining that the nature of the issue should take precedence over the political identity of those raising it. She added, “Our struggle is for rights, freedom and dignity,” Banerjee said, adding that she would support any movement concerning people's rights, irrespective of which political party initiated it. Her remarks signal an attempt to broaden the opposition's response to the SIR controversy beyond existing party alignments.
The outreach is particularly notable in West Bengal, where the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) have been longstanding political rivals. According to reports, CPI(M) general secretary M.A. Baby and Banerjee spoke over the phone on Friday after exchanging letters concerning the Election Commission. Baby had urged opposition leaders to unite over concerns about the poll panel and the electoral process. Banerjee reportedly supported the proposal for an early INDIA bloc meeting.
Banerjee alleges obstruction ahead of Serampore rally
Before reaching the rally venue, Banerjee accused the BJP of obstructing her movement and alleged that Trinamool leaders had been placed under house arrest to prevent them from attending the gathering.
“I am not allowed to go to the venue of the rally. But I will go and address the rally. Stop me if you can,” she said before leaving for Serampore.
Banerjee also alleged that BJP workers had taken control of the route leading to the venue and claimed that adequate police personnel were absent.
She travelled through Dankuni and Delhi Road, taking an alternative route to reach Serampore.
The Trinamool chief also condemned an alleged attack on party leader Kunal Ghosh by people she identified as BJP supporters while he was travelling to the rally.
