Abhishek says CEC, Amit Shah responsible for SIR panic, tells people to tie up BJP leaders and ask for their parents’ certificates

Holding the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar responsible for the suicide of Kar, who was born in Bengal after his father migrated to India from Bangladesh nearly six decades ago, the TMC MP said: “Kar died due to anxiety over the NRC and SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls created by the BJP and the Election Commission. An FIR should be filed against Shah and Kumar. They are responsible for the climate of panic.”

On Monday, the Election Commission (EC) announced the launch of the second phase of SIR in nine states and three Union Territories, including poll-bound West Bengal, from November 4.

Kar, who was found hanging at his Panihati residence in North 24 Parganas district, was “restless” since the announcement of SIR in the state, his family said.

“Panic has broken out because of the NRC and SIR. On one hand, there is the EC, and on the other hand, the Central government. They want to keep people in fear and create an atmosphere of terror in the country. They want to decide who are the citizens of this country, and who are not… Earlier, people used to vote to elect governments. Now, governments are selecting voters,” said Abhishek, the number two leader in the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC.

The Opposition BJP has been demanding an exercise to publish the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal, on the lines of Assam, alleging that the state has been infiltrated by illegal Bangladeshis and the NRC would help weed them out.

“What is the Central government thinking? That they can label anyone Bangladeshi or Rohingya? Is Gyanesh Kumar’s father’s name in the voters’ list? Can you show us the document? Can you show Amit Shah’s birth certificate? Starting from the PM to every cabinet minister, can you show us your fathers’ and grandfathers’ certificates? Those who work for the EC or the BJP supporters and workers? If you see them come here, tie them up and tell them that they will not be allowed to go until they produce their fathers’ and grandfathers’ birth certificates,” the TMC leader said.

Tell BJP leaders to bring their father’s and grandfather’s birth certificates before coming here to campaign. Tie them up and fasten them to a tree or a post, and keep them there. Only after they show the certificates, untie them,” Abhishek said after meeting Kar’s family in Panihati.

“If SIR or NRC leads to the removal of even one person’s name from the voters’ list, we will gather one lakh people and gherao the Election Commission’s office in Delhi,” he said.

Urging people not to panic, the TMC MP from Diamond Harbour said that his party workers will be in full force on the ground to help people get their names enrolled in the voters’ list.

“I want to tell everyone that there’s nothing to fear. During Mamata Banerjee’s governance, it won’t be that easy to evict someone who has lived in Bengal for 30 years. The SIR enumeration forms will be circulated from November 4. But don’t worry, Trinamool camps will be everywhere to help you. There is no reason to fear. If you face any problem, contact our local leader, BDO, or panchayat office, councillor or municipality office, or any ward or Panchayat Pradhan who holds a party post. We are with you,” he said.

Expressing grief over Kar’s death, Abhishek hit out at the BJP for claiming that the suicide was not linked to NRC or SIR. “I am extremely ashamed to see that a political party can stoop so low to attack someone personally over whether he can write or not. He (Kar) clearly wrote that the cause of his death was NRC and SIR. Even after that, the BJP politicised the issue,” Abhishek said, referring to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s remark that Kar died of “some other reason”.

“Those who claim to be protectors of Sanatan Dharma, have they contacted Pradeep Kar’s family? They deliver long speeches, but will they decide who came from Pakistan or Bangladesh?” added Abhishek.

The TMC leader took a dig at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, claiming, “Gyanesh Kumar’s daughter is an IAS officer. After the SIR was announced, she was made the DM of Noida. His son-in-law, Manish Bansal, was made DM of Saharanpur, one day after the SIR was announced. Is this planned or a coincidence?”

A day ago, the TMC MP had accused the EC of acting under political pressure and called the SIR “Silent Invisible Rigging” by the BJP.

Asking Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar “not to run away from the country” when the government changes, Abhishek said, “Wherever you go, I will dig you out and bring you back. You will have to answer to the people.”

He claimed that the SIR exercise was designed not to include genuine voters but to “exclude them on political direction”.

All genuine voters must exercise their franchise: Mamata

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata on Wednesday said all genuine voters should exercise their franchise. Addressing people after inaugurating a Jagaddhatri Puja in the Burrabazar area of Kolkata, the chief minister said, “The democratic rights of every individual must remain intact. All genuine voters should exercise their right. We need to strengthen our democracy and keep its pillars strong…. The Constitution has laid down equal rights for all.”

Her remarks come amid the EC’s launch of the SIR process in West Bengal, where Assembly elections are due in six months.

(Anisha Ghosh is an intern at the Kolkata office of The Indian Express)