SIR in Bengal: TMC MP raises alarm over rising death toll
The Statesman | 21 November 2025
Trinamul Congress MP Derek O’Brien Thursday raised alarm over the rising death toll in West Bengal, with 31 people losing their lives in the past 24 days amidst the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
O’Brien accused the Election Commission and the BJP-led Centre of “silent invisible rigging” (SIR), claiming that the exercise is aimed at suppressing voter turnout.
“The kind of stories the legacy media are too skittish to touch,” O’Brien said in a post on handle X, highlighting the alleged intimidation and fear mongering among voters.
The TMC has been vocal about its opposition to the SIR, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee leading a protest rally in Kolkata, terming it “silent invisible rigging”. The party alleges that the BJP is using the SIR to erase living voters from the rolls, citing the deactivation of 34 lakh Aadhaar numbers in West Bengal.
The Election Commission of India has denied any wrongdoing, stating that the SIR is aimed at ensuring accurate and updated electoral rolls. However, the controversy has sparked concerns about voter suppression and intimidation in the state.