"I warned, don't play with fire," West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee slams BJP over SIR

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], October 9 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed concerns about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in a press conference, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using these mechanisms to manipulate voter lists and target citizens.
Banerjee claimed that the BJP is using SIR as a pretext to implement NRC and remove names from the voter list.
"In the name of SIR, they are trying to place NRC, want to remove names from the voter list, I assure you no genuine voter will be unlisted," Mamata said.
She warned the BJP against escalating tensions through their policies, accusing them of provocative actions, saying, "I warned the BJP, don't play with fire."
Banerjee claimed that she heard that the "Union Home Minister said in a party meeting that we will drop many names."
"Be prepared for public outrage. People of Bengal never believe you. I heard that the Union Home Minister said in a party meeting that we will drop many names; who is he to drop them? Today, his government is there, but tomorrow it will not be there," the Chief Minister said.
She challenged the BJP's use of central agencies to target her government, expressing readiness to confront such actions, saying, "If you think you'll take action against us through the agency, know that we're ready."
"How can he say that 1.5 crore voters will be deleted? Are they deciding these things in a party office? There is a double-engine government in Bihar; there are orders from the party office to conduct SIR, but this will not happen here in Bengal," she said.
She highlighted recent NRC notices issued in Assam, specifically mentioning two individuals from Nadia, West Bengal, receiving such notices after the Puja festival.
"After Puja, again NRC notices have been served from Assam; two people from Nadia have received notices," the TMC leader said. (ANI)