Protesting Matuas rally to CEO’s office over SIR and citizenship
Times of India | 2 December 2025
Kolkata: The All India Matua Mahasangha's (AIMM) Trinamool-backed faction, which recently organized a hunger strike demanding unconditional citizenship for the community at its Thakurbari headquarters in Thakurnagar, brought its protest against special intensive revision (SIR) to the Election Commission's Kolkata office on Monday.
The rally — politically significant for the presence of senior Congress neta Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury — started from College Square and proceeded towards the office of the chief electoral officer, West Bengal.
"Our key demands include simplification of the SIR process, universal acceptance of Aadhaar during verification and assurance that no Matua or refugee voter will be removed from the rolls. The names of those who voted in the last Lok Sabha election should be retained," said Sukesh Chowdhury, general secretary of the AIMM faction led by TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Bala Thakur.
After assembling at Sealdah station, the procession moved towards the CEO's office around 4pm. Hundreds of Matua devotees joined the march, beating drums and blowing horns and conch shells. The rally was halted at Ganesh Chandra Avenue by police barricades, as the CEO's office had turned chaotic with large crowds by then.
Stopped at the barricade, Adhir climbed onto a temporary dais set up on a vehicle to address the crowd. He reiterated his support for the Matua cause, noting that he also attended their recent hunger strike at Thakurbari.
Adhir said: "Now, under the guise of SIR, there is fear that their names may be removed from the voters' list. BJP is misleading them through the CAA camp. They must be granted unconditional citizenship. I will always stand by their movement."
Mamata Bala had earlier warned that the organization would launch an agitation in Delhi in Dec if their demands were not met. AIMM representatives later submitted a memorandum to the EC on Monday evening.
"Acting on the instructions of our sanghadhipati Mamata Bala Thakur, all dalpatis, pagals, gosains and members joined the march. Around 6pm, we met the CEO and submitted our memorandum demanding unconditional citizenship, simplification of the SIR process and universal acceptance of Aadhaar during verification. The CEO assured us he would look into the matter seriously and convey our demands to the EC of India," Sukesh said. "None of the names of those who voted in previous years — especially those who voted in the last Lok Sabha election — should be removed from the voters' list," he added.