In a scathing attack on the Election Commission and the BJP, TMC national general secretary on Saturday called Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar “Vanish Kumar” over deletions of voters’ names in the SIR exercise, and likened the BJP to a snake.
Addressing a rally in Alipurduar in north Bengal as part of his 19-day ‘Abar Jitbe Bangla’ yatra, Abhishek made a pointed attack on the Chief Election Commissioner over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
“There is a person called Vanish Kumar! He is a magician – bigger than PC Sarkar. He makes living people dead.
Yesterday, I made them (those who were declared dead by the EC) walk on a ramp at my public meeting in Bruipur.
Today, I appeal to the people of Alipurduar to show their magic. When BJP leaders come to your house for votes, you assure them of the same, but go and vote for the TMC. Show Gyanesh Kumar your magic,” Abhishek, who is considered Number 2 in the TMC, said.
Referring to the TMC delegation’s meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner in Delhi, he said, “TMC leaders had gone to the Election Commission’s office in Delhi seeking transparency over the process.
We asked them to provide information, to make everything public. But now magic is happening. Living citizens are vanishing.”
Banerjee likened the SIR exercise to demonetisation, accusing the Narendra Modi government at the Centre of misleading people.
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“Ten years ago, people were made to stand in queues after being shown dreams. The amount of black money has increased since then. Ten years later, people are again being made to stand in lines. Earlier, people chose the government. Now the government wants to decide who will be a voter,” the TMC MP said.
Campaigning for the party in the BJP stronghold in the run-up to the Assembly polls due in April this year, Abhishek said: “BJP and snakes are the same. Leave one or two snakes behind your house, and a snake will always remain a snake. It will drink milk and have bananas provided by you, but still bite you.”
Since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP has been winning in Alipurduar.
“This time, do not rear snakes. Give TMC a chance. If we fail to work for you, remove us next time,” he added.
Urging voters to turn out in large numbers during the Assembly elections, the TMC MP from Diamond Harbour asked them to use electronic voting machines to “teach a lesson” to those he accused of undermining democratic rights.
“Those who want to change the Constitution will eventually be removed from power,” he said.
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Poking holes in the BJP’s pitch for a “double-engine government’ – same party ruling the Centre and the state – Abhishek referred to the death of at least 10 people by drinking contaminated water in Indore in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
“In the double-engine sarkar, people are dying after drinking toxic water. The government that can’t give you clean water and better air quality, they will never give you a roof over your head,” Abhishek said.
He also talked about the harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states over the suspicion of being from Bangladesh.
“In BJP-ruled states, more than 1,200 brothers and sisters of yours have been harassed. Ye Bengal jhuka nahi (This Bengal will not bow down),” he said.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
