BJP Leader's Controversial Remarks on Deleted Voters Spark Political Firestorm
In a highly charged political statement, former West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh has declared that all 90.8 lakh individuals whose names were removed from voter lists were "anti-nationals." The remarks were made during a campaign event in Kharagpur's Talbagicha area on Thursday, where Ghosh is contesting as the BJP's Kharagpur Town candidate.
"Final Bell Tolling" for Fake Voters, Claims Ghosh
Addressing supporters in Talbagicha—a predominantly Hindu refugee colony established in the 1950s—Ghosh asserted that the Election Commission had successfully "pumped out all the extra water" from electoral rolls. "The final bell is tolling," he proclaimed. "While 90 lakh are gone, another 10-12-15 lakh will follow. It is because of these fake voters that Mamata Banerjee became CM thrice. CPM stayed in office 34 years the same way. These anti-nationals have finally been ousted."
Ghosh's campaign activities were intensifying ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's scheduled roadshow in Kharagpur. Notably, within Ghosh's own constituency, over 57,000 voters have been deleted from a total of 2,30,000 previously registered electors.
Contradictory Admission Just Hours Earlier
Incidentally, Ghosh's "anti-national" characterization came merely 24 hours after he acknowledged that some legitimate voters had indeed been removed during the Summary Revision (SIR) process. This admission followed an encounter with a group of women on the campaign trail who confronted him about their names being struck off the voter list.
TMC Opponent Fires Back, Accusing BJP of Insulting Hindus
Reacting sharply to Ghosh's comments, his electoral rival, Trinamool Congress candidate Pradeep Sarkar, launched a scathing counterattack. "Dilipbabu's statement reveals the true character of BJP," Sarkar stated. "When the SIR process began, Amit Shah said no Hindu names would be excluded—only the names of 'outsider' Muslims and Rohingya would be removed. Now, it is evident that out of the 90 lakh deleted voters, 57 lakh are Hindus. Dilip Ghosh has effectively called these 57 lakh Hindus traitors, anti-nationals and Rohingya. Hindus will answer this charge in the election."
Amit Shah's Roadshow Bolsters Ghosh's Campaign
On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah led a massive roadshow in West Midnapore district to rally support for Dilip Ghosh. The event drew thousands of enthusiastic supporters who lined the streets, demonstrating the BJP's concerted push in the region ahead of crucial polling.
The controversy surrounding voter list deletions and Ghosh's inflammatory rhetoric has injected fresh volatility into West Bengal's political landscape, with accusations flying between major parties about electoral integrity and communal polarization.
