Samik moves motion in RS, seeks debate on ‘compromised’ SIR
Times of India | 3 December 2025
Kolkata: Even as chaos continued in Parliament on Monday with treasury and opposition benches locking their horns over special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls, BJP Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya, who is also the president of the party's state unit, moved a motion seeking a discussion on "compromised SIR" in Bengal.
Bhattacharya, who has been critical of the Election Commission's role over the past couple of days, sought the Centre's intervention "to safeguard the SIR process from manipulation and intimidation" in Bengal. In the notice addressed to the secretary general of the Rajya Sabha, Bhattacharya said that BLOs were facing "threats, intimidation and obstruction. They are even being stopped from conducting field verifications and are being coerced to overlook illegal or fictitious entries."
Alleging that the exercise in Bengal was "severely compromising the integrity of the electoral process," Bhattacharya claimed that it would raise questions about the credibility of the voter list revision. "I urge the Union govt and the EC to take immediate cognizance of these complaints, ensure protection of BLOs, and coordinate with concerned agencies to safeguard the SIR process from manipulation and intimidation," his notice read.
Later, Bhattacharya told the media that BJP believed in the right to protest. "But there is a petition being heard in the Supreme Court. Opposition stalled Parliament over the issue. Congress, along with Trinamool, has been shouting slogans in Bengal. Trinamool is not mere thief... they are dacoits! You will find ghosts walking out of graves and casting votes in Bengal," he said.
Taking a dig at Congress and the Left for sitting on a dharna with Trinamool, Bhattacharya said: "Congress and CPM's coordination with TMC inside Parliament shows that they are working hand in glove with the party in office in Bengal."
Leader of the opposition in Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari has already demanded a CBI enquiry into the SIR process that has seen recording of around 1.25 crore names between Nov 26 and 28.