‘Arrogant, liar’: Mamata slams CEC after meet, asks why Bengal targeted

“He insulted us,” Banerjee said, referring to Gyanesh Kumar. “Hen­ce, we boycotted him and the meeting. If the BJP is in his favour, then the people are with us.”

The delegation also comprised Banerjee’s nephew and TMC general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee and LS MP Kalyan Banerjee. Some of the 12 “SIR-affected” people who were with the leaders were either “declared dead” and or whose family members had died during the SIR exercise, the TMC claimed.

Earlier in the day, high drama unfolded in the national capital as Banerjee reached both the Banga Bhawans — in Chanakyapuri and on Hailey Road — after party sources said Delhi Police personnel were deployed at both places. At the Banga Bhawan on Hailey Road, the CM appealed to the police personnel to not “harass people of Bengal”.

Flanked by Abhishek, Mamata, her hands folded, made it all about “Bengali pride”. “Any attack on Bengal’s people will be met with fierce resistance. Bengal will not bow, and Delhi’s diktats will not prevail,” she said. From there, she headed to Chanakyapuri, where at the Banga Bhawan some “SIR-affected” people from Bengal have been residing for the last couple of days.

When the Bengal CM reached Nirvachan Sadan around 4 pm, Rapid Action Force and Delhi police personnel swarmed the place. She headed straight to meet the CEC.

After a 90-minute meeting, she came out and said: “I have never seen such an Election Commission which is so arrogant and are liars. I had told them we respect their chair but no chair is permanent. You have to go one day… Why is only Bengal being targeted? In democracy, elections are a festival and what did you do? You killed 98 people, and you are not letting them defend themselves.”

She said she had brought “100 people from Bengal to Delhi – some of whom were declared dead by EC and some whose family members died due to the SIR”. The EC should take responsibility for the “deaths being caused by the SIR”, she said. Targeting Gyanesh Kumar, she said: “… You have the power of BJP, but we have the power of people.” “He behaved so badly. I said I am sorry I sought a meeting with you. We didn’t get justice. He did injustice. He is a great liar… He didn’t give us any answers… Why did you appoint micro observers for Bengal?”

After the meeting, an EC statement said, “TMC MLAs are openly using abusive and threatening language against the Commission and especially against the CEC. Also threatening the election officials. There have been incidents of vandalisation of the ERO (SDO/BDO) offices by TMC workers/MLAs. No pressure, obstruction, or interference of any kind by anyone should be exerted on officers engaged in SIR work.”

The EC said it had requested the state government on January 20 for proposals to appoint Returning Officers for the upcoming polls, and as per criteria they should be of the rank of Sub-Divisional Officer or Sub-Divisional Magistrate, the statement said, adding, “at present only in 67 Assembly Constituencies, ROs are of the rank of SDO/SDM.”

The EC statement also said the state government had not registered FIR against four officers and one data entry operator in a case of alleged sharing of log-in credentials with unauthorised people.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police Special Commissioner, Devesh Srivastava, said that the CM “is provided with Z+ category security in Delhi. As per protocol, the Delhi Police is responsible for her security in the national capital, and the West Bengal Police had already informed us of this. Delhi Police made extensive security and law and order arrangements at Banga Bhawan in Chanakyapuri and Hailey Road.”

“No police personnel entered Banga Bhawan today… According to information received, it was reported that around 150-200 supporters of a political party had come from West Bengal and were staying at various places in Delhi… It was also reported that VVIPs and senior leaders would visit these guest house hotels. Accordingly, adequate deployment was made,” he said. “… we are in constant contact with West Bengal Police and have not been informed, officially or unofficially, of any untoward incident or security lapse.” — i