West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a fierce attack on the BJP-led central government on Tuesday, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is an attempt at “silent and invisible rigging” targeting Bengali-speaking citizens. Addressing a massive rally in Kolkata, Banerjee questioned the Election Commission’s haste, pointing out that while the last revision in 2002 took two years, the current exercise is being wrapped up within a month.

She demanded complete transparency from the Election Commission and sought clarity on the number of Rohingya and Bangladeshi nationals reportedly identified in similar revisions in Bihar. “If even one genuine voter from Bengal is removed from the rolls, we will ensure the BJP government falls,” Banerjee thundered, accusing the Centre of manipulating elections using money and bureaucracy instead of genuine votes.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief also hit out at the BJP over language-based discrimination, saying, “Speaking in Bangla doesn’t make anyone Bangladeshi—just as speaking Hindi or Punjabi doesn’t make anyone Pakistani. These people who never fought for freedom don’t know that India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan were once the same land.”

Criticising the government’s Aadhaar policy, Banerjee questioned why citizens were forced to pay for cards that were later declared invalid for voter and ration lists. She labelled the BJP a “lootera party” spreading lies and fear to manipulate the democratic process.

TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who joined the Chief Minister in the march, accused the BJP of spreading panic through the SIR drive, claiming that the fear of voter list deletions had already led to seven deaths. He likened the situation to Assam’s NRC, which he said had “snatched the rights of 12 lakh Hindu Bengalis,” and warned that the party would organize a “mega protest in Delhi” if legitimate voters in Bengal are disenfranchised.