Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee launched a blistering assault on the Election Commission of India and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, dubbing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar "Vanish Kumar" over the contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Campaigning in the BJP stronghold of Alipurduar in north Bengal, Banerjee also drew a sharp parallel, likening the BJP to a snake.
'Vanish Kumar' and the Magic of Vanishing Voters
Addressing a public rally on the second day of his 19-day 'Abar Jitbe Bangla' election yatra, Abhishek Banerjee, widely seen as the number two in the TMC hierarchy, launched a pointed attack on the poll body's chief. "There is a person called Vanish Kumar! He is a magician – bigger than PC Sarkar. He makes living people dead," Banerjee stated, referring to the alleged wrongful deletion of voters' names from the electoral list.
He recounted an incident from a previous rally in Bruipur, where he claimed to have made people, whom the EC had declared dead, walk on a ramp. Extending the challenge to the people of Alipurduar, he urged them to show their own magic. "When BJP leaders come to your house for votes, you assure them of the same, but go and vote for the TMC. Show Gyanesh Kumar your magic," he advised the crowd.
Banerjee criticized the lack of transparency in the SIR process, recalling a TMC delegation's meeting with the CEC in Delhi. "We asked them to provide information, to make everything public. But now magic is happening. Living citizens are vanishing," he alleged.
SIR Compared to Demonetisation, BJP to a Snake
Drawing a historical parallel, the TMP MP from Diamond Harbour likened the SIR exercise to the 2016 demonetisation drive. "Ten years ago, people were made to stand in queues after being shown dreams. The amount of black money has increased since then," he said. "Ten years later, people are again being made to stand in lines. Earlier, people chose the government. Now the government wants to decide who will be a voter."
In a vivid metaphor targeting the BJP, which has been winning the Alipurduar seat since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee warned the electorate. "BJP and snakes are the same. Leave one or two snakes behind your house, and a snake will always remain a snake. It will drink milk and have bananas provided by you, but still bite you," he cautioned. He appealed to voters to give the TMC a chance in the upcoming Assembly polls, promising accountability.
Attacks on 'Double-Engine Govt' and Voter Mobilisation Call
Banerjee also tore into the BJP's pitch for a "double-engine government," citing the recent tragedy in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where at least ten people died after consuming contaminated water. "In the double-engine sarkar, people are dying after drinking toxic water. The government that can’t give you clean water and better air quality, they will never give you a roof over your head," he asserted.
He further raised the issue of alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states. "In BJP-ruled states, more than 1,200 brothers and sisters of yours have been harassed," he claimed, ending with a defiant "Ye Bengal jhuka nahi (This Bengal will not bow down)."
Concluding his speech, Abhishek Banerjee urged for a massive voter turnout in the Assembly elections. He called upon people to use the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to "teach a lesson" to those he accused of undermining democratic rights. "Those who want to change the Constitution will eventually be removed from power," he declared, positioning the upcoming polls as a battle for democratic preservation.
