SIR a big scam, it’s a ploy to bring BJP to office, says CM
Times of India | 12 April 2026
Kolkata/Keshiary: The entire SIR process and the mass deletion of genuine voters were a "big scam" with the sole intent of "bringing BJP to office" in Bengal, CM Mamata Banerjee said in Keshiary on Saturday.
Among the 90.8 lakh deleted voters were 60 lakh Hindus, with Muslims largely making up the rest, Banerjee said, but added that those harassing Bengal's population with SIR would get justice from the same very people.
"Voters are being deleted indiscriminately. Remember, out of 90 lakh voters deleted, 60 lakh are Hindus and 30 lakh are Muslims. People are still being made to stand in queues. It would be proved one day that SIR was a huge scam. Those trying to please their bosses by torturing and harassing people will get justice," Banerjee said.
The CM, at another rally in Bankura's Barjora, said the fight this time was not against BJP but against "Delhi's institutions": "Our fight is not against BJP. They have no one to man booths. They pay Rs 500 to bring people to rallies and use trains to ship people from Bihar. Our fight is against the central govt machinery. I am issuing my charge sheet against the PM (Narendra Modi), HM (Amit Shah) and BJP: you should resign if infiltrators voted you to office in 2024. Who are you to delete voters' names? Who are you to decide on citizenship?" she asked.
Banerjee accused BJP of planning to tamper electronic voting machines and said it had lost the plot. "It is being said that those deleted from the voters' list in Bihar will not get rations; their bank accounts will be frozen. I will not allow any such thing in Bengal," she added.
Banerjee also took a strong stand against the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and questioned why the BJP was always in a hurry to introduce "dangerous bills", terming the BJP manifesto "a bunch of lies".
"They table dangerous bills when everyone is busy with elections. You may be able to pass these bills now because you have a majority. But tomorrow, when you lose office, we will abolish all these. UCC means you will lose the right to practice your religion and faith. It will take away your culture, tradition and education. UCC means the destruction of diversity. They want to make everything homogeneous. We will oppose this with all our might. UCC is dangerous," Banerjee said.
The CM also questioned the real intent behind the women's reservation bill. "37% of our elected members in Parliament are already women. Panchayats and municipalities have 50% women's representation. You have nothing. Women are afraid in BJP-governed states. They push a fake narrative that women are unsafe. Tell us how Unnao happened? What happened to Bilkis? How do you justify (having) people like Brij Bhushan?" Banerjee asked the BJP.
The Trinamool would also oppose the delimitation bill, Banerjee said. "They are tabling the delimitation bill at the time of polls. This is a ploy to implement NRC. They want to divide Bengal," she alleged.