TMC Reaches Out to Families Amid SIR-Related Death Concerns
The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal has initiated a comprehensive outreach program targeting families who have lost members allegedly due to fear and anxiety surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has formed special teams that began visiting affected households starting Saturday.
According to senior TMC functionaries, the initiative aims to provide both emotional support and practical assistance to families during what they describe as a period of uncertainty created by the Election Commission's exercise. The teams have been instructed to maintain regular contact with these families and offer all necessary forms of support.
Ground-Level Implementation and Family Visits
The outreach program saw immediate action over the weekend, with TMC teams visiting multiple families across various districts. On Saturday, the teams met with families of Pradip Kar in Panihati, Kakoli Sarkar in Titagarh, Hasina Begum in Dankuni, Biti Das in Sheoraphuli (Hooghly), and Jahir Mal in Uluberia.
The efforts continued on Sunday with visits to families in additional locations including Berhampore, where the team met Tarak Saha's family. Other visits included Bimal Santra's family in Jamalpur, Sheikh Sirajuddin's family in Ramnagar, Sofikul Islam's family in Bhangar, Hafeez S.'s family in Kulpi, and Biman Pramanik's family in Sainthia.
The party is providing financial assistance along with other necessary support based on individual family requirements, confirmed a senior TMC leader involved in the program.
Personal Accounts and Political Accusations
During the visit to Sofikul Islam's family in Bhangar, Trinamool leader Arup Chakrabarty shared disturbing details about the circumstances leading to the death. "Sofikul left us because of the fear generated by SIR," Chakrabarty stated. "I heard that Safikul used to be worried that he did not have documents and would tell his wife that with no documents he would be deported to Bangladesh."
Chakrabarty didn't mince words when assigning responsibility, asserting that "the BJP and the EC are responsible for these deaths." He drew parallels with previous concerns about the National Registration of Citizens, suggesting similar fear tactics were being employed through the SIR process.
The TMC leadership plans to gather first-hand accounts from all affected families before deciding on further action. The party's approach emphasizes standing beside Bengal's residents during what they characterize as a challenging time created by the electoral revision process.
