‘Fight Trinamool, not Bengal’: Abhishek Banerjee says SIR aims to brand Bengalis as Bangladeshis

Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the Centre and the Election Commission, alleging that the ongoing voter list revision under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process is part of a larger plan to “deprive people of their right to vote.”

Banerjee questioned the central government’s decision to include only Bengal in the SIR process, despite Bangladesh sharing borders with five Indian states — Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Bengal. “If the goal is to stop illegal immigrants, why is Assam excluded? The real aim is to insult Bengalis by labeling them as Bangladeshis,” Banerjee said at a public meeting.

He further accused the Centre of politicizing the exercise ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. “Earlier, people used to elect the government, but today the government is electing the people. Even after SIR, we will win more seats than in 2021 and bring BJP’s tally below 50,” Banerjee declared.

Taking direct aim at Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Banerjee alleged, “How many lives will Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar take? The BJP started this game; we will end it. An FIR should be lodged against them.” He urged the BJP to “fight Trinamool, not Bengal.”