'Because of SIR? BJP mocks Mamata as earthquake jolts Kolkata
What's the story
The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took a jibe at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Bangladesh on Friday. The tremors were felt in Kolkata and adjoining areas. Right after the quake, the BJP took to social media to ask if the tremors were due to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which Banerjee has been criticizing. "West Bengal just felt earthquake tremors. Mamata Banerjee, was it because of SIR?" the party wrote.
Election revision
Banerjee's concerns over SIR process
Banerjee had earlier written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, asking him to stop the SIR process. She called it "chaotic, coercive, and dangerous" and said it was being conducted in an "unplanned, dangerous" manner. The chief minister alleged that the Election Commission was imposing the SIR on officials and citizens without basic preparedness.
Unpreparedness allegations
Banerjee accuses Election Commission of unpreparedness
Banerjee highlighted "critical gaps in training" and confusion over mandatory documents under the SIR process. She also pointed out the difficulty for booth-level officers (BLOs) to meet voters due to their livelihood schedules. The chief minister warned that if these issues aren't addressed quickly, they could have irreversible consequences for the system, officials, and citizens.
Political clash
BJP dismisses Banerjee's allegations, accuses TMC of obstruction
The BJP has dismissed Banerjee's allegations, accusing her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), of trying to obstruct the lawful SIR process. The party claimed that Banerjee was opposing the special revision for political reasons. Meanwhile, the TMC has alleged that at least 30 people in Bengal have died by suicide or heart attack over fears of losing their voting rights due to this process.