Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday firmly rejected Prime Minister Narendra Modi's characterization of the opposition's demand for discussions on the Supplementary Identity Registration (SIR) process as "drama." He asserted that seeking clarity on behalf of the people is a legitimate and rightful demand.
Rightful Questions vs. Political Drama
Banerjee's remarks came hours after the Prime Minister launched an attack on opposition parties over the issue. The TMC leader argued that elected representatives have a duty to ask questions. "If those elected by people think asking rightful questions on behalf of electors is drama, then people will respond appropriately in the next election," he warned, speaking to the media in Kolkata after inaugurating the second phase of the 'Sebaashray' healthcare initiative.
He directly linked the SIR process to tragic consequences, stating that as many as 40 people have died because SIR was implemented in haste without proper consultation with the state government and other stakeholders. He highlighted that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) appointed by the Election Commission have held the Commission responsible for these deaths. "How is any of this 'drama'?" Banerjee questioned, demanding answers from the Centre, the BJP, the law minister, and the Election Commission.
A Litany of Accountability Failures
The MP launched a broadside against the central government, listing multiple issues where he believes accountability is missing. "People do not mind standing in queues, but where is accountability?" he asked. He drew a parallel to the demonetization exercise a decade ago, noting that people stood in queues then, but black money has increased since.
He further pointed to security and governance failures: "Terrorists are crossing borders protected by the Centre, where is accountability? Blasts are hitting the national capital, where is accountability? 40 people died due to unplanned SIR, where is accountability?" Banerjee accused the government of wanting power without being answerable for its actions.
Flawed Implementation and Unanswered Questions
Banerjee detailed the operational failures in the SIR process, which he said justified the demand for a parliamentary discussion. He stated that BLOs lacked proper training, the dedicated app did not have digitized voter lists, and officers were given unrealistic deadlines to digitize data in a single day. Technical glitches remained unfixed, and in many places, even the 2002 digitized voter list was unavailable.
"We have repeatedly said SIR cannot be completed in 2 months. Now that Centre itself has extended the deadline, doesn't that prove us right?" he argued. He clarified that the opposition's issue is not with the exercise itself but with its flawed execution. "Take 6 months or a year to complete SIR, there is no issue. Our issue is with the flawed implementation."
He revealed that a TMC delegation met the Chief Election Commissioner for nearly two hours but claimed the EC could not answer any of the five questions they raised. Challenging the Commission, Banerjee said, "Trinamool has digital evidence. If the EC truly believes they have evidence and have responded truthfully, then they should release it on public forum. After that, we will take them to court." He expressed confidence that the Commission would not be able to answer their questions even in three years.
Banerjee concluded by questioning the government's reluctance to allow discussions in Parliament on critical issues, including the Delhi blast, pending central dues to Bengal under schemes like MGNREGA, and the SIR. "They want power without accountability. Opposition's duty is to ensure the govt functions within the ambit of law," he stated, reminding the ruling party that a public mandate can be withdrawn if accountability is not upheld.
