West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India on Sunday, accusing the constitutional body of functioning as 'His Master's Voice' and staging a 'farce' by celebrating National Voters' Day after allegedly 'snatching away people's voting rights'. The fiery criticism came as Trinamool Congress leaders and workers organized statewide protests against what they term the hurried implementation of the Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR) process.
CM's Direct Accusations Against Election Commission
Banerjee described the EC's Voters' Day celebrations as 'tragic' and questioned 'their temerity to celebrate' while implementing what she called an 'NRC-like trial' targeting minorities, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes in Bengal. The Chief Minister expressed being 'deeply distressed and disturbed' by the commission's conduct in a stinging social media post that accompanied her physical participation in protest rallies.
Allegations of Partisan Conduct and Democratic Erosion
In her detailed critique, Banerjee accused the Election Commission of deviating from its constitutional mandate. 'Instead of complying with the Supreme Court's order and working as per rules and norms to provide and protect the democratic voting rights of people, EC is finding newer and newer pretexts in the name of logical discrepancy to harass people and try to deny them, and take away from them their electoral rights,' she stated.
The CM directly addressed the commission, writing: 'EC, you are torturing people today in an unprecedented manner. More than 130 persons have died because of your tortures.' She questioned the practicality and humanity of summoning elderly citizens above 85, 90, and 95 years of age, along with physically challenged individuals, to physically appear before officials to prove their credentials.
Systematic Harassment and Democratic Destruction
Banerjee elaborated on the consequences of the EC's actions, stating: 'The stress caused by this kind of illegal pressure is leading to a series of suicides and deaths, and yet you are continuing to do this at the behest of your political masters.' She emphasized that 'elections are festivals of democracy' but accused the commission of 'partisan conduct and unilateral illegalities' that are 'destroying our democracy'.
The Chief Minister specifically criticized the deployment of micro-observers that she claims compounds harassment and pushes 'people to the jaws of death'. Her concluding remark left no ambiguity: 'Today, you have no right to celebrate Voters' Day!'
Trinamool Congress's Statewide Protests
While Banerjee led the verbal assault, Trinamool Congress cadres took to streets across West Bengal, protesting what they call the 'hurried imposition of SIR to chop off genuine voters at BJP's diktat'. The protests highlighted growing tensions between the state's ruling party and the central election authority as assembly elections approach.
Specific Grievances Regarding Electoral Lists
State minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, while leading a rally in south Kolkata, alleged that the Election Commission has failed to fully comply with Supreme Court directions regarding the publication of logical discrepancies' list. 'There is a conspiracy to keep out a large number of people from exercising their franchise in the coming assembly elections,' she claimed during the protest.
Trinamool Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sagarika Ghose raised pointed questions about the unpublished list containing over 1 crore voters' names placed under scrutiny. 'The deadline to publish was January 2. Why have you not yet published the list? What are you again seeking to hide?' she questioned, suggesting that if the list remains unpublished, the Election Commission should be renamed 'Election Omission of India'.
Broader Political Implications
The confrontation represents a significant escalation in the ongoing tussle between West Bengal's ruling party and central institutions. Banerjee's characterization of the SIR process as an 'NRC-like trial' connects it to broader national debates about citizenship and inclusion, while her accusation that the EC is working as 'His Master's Voice' suggests complete erosion of institutional independence.
As both social media campaigns and ground protests continue, the Election Commission faces mounting pressure to address these allegations while maintaining its constitutional role as an impartial arbiter in India's democratic processes. The timing of this controversy, coinciding with National Voters' Day celebrations, has amplified its political significance and public visibility.
