West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spearheaded a huge protest march in Kolkata on Tuesday (November 4) against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Chief Minister, who is also the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission (ECI) of orchestrating a “silent, invisible rigging” through the process.

The Protest March and TMC’s Concerns

Carrying a copy of the Constitution, Mamata Banerjee walked the 3.8-km route from the BR Ambedkar statue on Red Road to Jorasanko Thakur Bari, the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore. She was joined by thousands of TMC workers and supporters, along with party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, waving flags and chanting slogans in condemnation of the SIR process.

The TMC has linked the SIR which aims to remove duplicate, deceased, migrated, or illegal voters and fear over the potential National Register of Citizens (NRC) to the recent deaths of three people in Bengal. They claim two men allegedly died by suicide and one woman suffered a fatal heart attack due to the stress induced by the verification process. The party argues the SIR process unfairly targets marginalized groups, citing the first phase in Bihar which reportedly led to 68 lakh deletions. The SIR is being conducted for the first time in two decades.

BJP’s Strong Rebuttal

The BJP was quick to dismiss the rally, labelling it as divisive. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari controversially referred to the gathering as a “rally of Jamat,” asserting it violated “the ethos of the Indian Constitution.” State BJP president Samik Bhattacharya challenged the TMC to take the matter to the Supreme Court if they had grievances, alleging “total anarchy and a total absence of law and order in West Bengal.” Bhattacharya further claimed that Banerjee was deliberately “calling Rohingyas into the state” to manipulate the voters’ list.

Abhishek Banerjee’s Fiery Speech and Pledges

Addressing the massive crowd, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee delivered a powerful speech, highlighting the quick mobilization for the march and making strong political statements:

• Gratitude and Solidarity: He expressed gratitude to the participants, including TMC workers, religious leaders, artists, and sportspersons, whom he called “the trustees of Bengal’s culture and heritage.” He also extended his deepest respect to the families of citizens who reportedly died in the seven days since the SIR was announced.

• A Warning to the BJP: Banerjee warned the BJP, stating that if the party could organize such a huge event in just two days, they should “imagine what we can do in two months in Delhi.” He vowed that Bengalis would not surrender their self-respect and would only bow to the “10 crore Bengalis, not to Delhi.”

• Protection of Rights and Identity: The TMC leader strongly opposed the requirement for “verified” documents, which he said alienates people from their voting rights. He drew parallels to the July 21 martyrs and stressed that TMC would sacrifice its life if necessary to protect people’s rights.

• Accusations on Central Funds: Banerjee recounted the struggle for the release of central government funds, including those for the 100-days work scheme, asserting that Bengal had triumphed over the Centre’s power, including its agencies and the ECI, culminating in a Supreme Court order for fund release.

• Vows to Matua Community: Addressing the Matua community, Banerjee called the BJP’s promise of citizenship a “drama” and urged them not to fall into the trap, citing the fate of Hindus in Assam. He vowed that no Matua or Rajbanshi would be deported as long as TMC workers were in Bengal.

• Future Political Goals: He promised that TMC would answer the central government’s unilateral actions and “step-motherly attitude”—including the deprivation of funds for schemes like MGNREGA and PM Awas in the 2026 assembly elections, with the goal of reducing the BJP to zero seats.

• Call to Action: Banerjee ended with a call for the supporters to be ready to go to Delhi tomorrow (November 5) to protest against the SIR and show “the might of Bengal to the entire country,” urging the public not to fear the ongoing voter list work, as TMC help desks are operational across the state.

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