Matua delegation meets President over ‘selective deletion’ fears in electoral rolls
The Statesman | 7 January 2026
A section of the Matua community on Wednesday approached President Droupadi Murmu, expressing concern over what they described as growing “fear and uncertainty” triggered by the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Led by Union minister and BJP MP Shantanu Thakur, the delegation met the President in the morning and submitted a memorandum alleging that names of Matua voters were being selectively deleted during the revision process. The petition also highlighted broader concerns related to the community’s future, including its socio-economic development and sense of political insecurity ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The SIR exercise has already snowballed into a major political flashpoint in the state, with the ruling Trinamul Congress repeatedly alleging that the process is a politically motivated attempt to disenfranchise certain sections of voters.
The Matua community, concentrated largely in North 24-Parganas and Nadia districts, had earlier voiced apprehensions over the revision of voter lists, even as the BJP leadership assured them that there was no cause for alarm. In an attempt to allay fears, the All India Matua Mahasangha, under Shantanu Thakur’s leadership, had distributed Matua cards. However, anxiety resurfaced after the draft electoral rolls revealed that the names of several Matua voters were missing.
Controversy deepened after Thakur remarked that if 50 lakh Rohingya Muslims were removed from the voter list, the community should be prepared to “tolerate” the exclusion of even one lakh Matua names. The comment drew sharp criticism from within the community. Trinamul Congress MP and another Mahasangha leader, Mamata Bala Thakur, subsequently called for a protest meeting at the Thakurbari in Gaighata, which witnessed tense scenes. Although Union home minister Amit Shah later sought to reassure the community during his Kolkata visit, apprehensions persist, prompting the latest appeal to the President.