"Trying to become a hero," BJP's Dilip Ghosh jibes at Abhishek Banerjee for opposing nationwide SIR

Kharagpur (West Bengal) [India], October 29 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday hit out at Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee for opposing a nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The BJP leader took a jibe at the TMC leader, claiming that Banerjee is trying to "become a hero" by making excuses.
"He says that he will not let SIR happen, but from his party itself a list of BLAs is being sent to the Election Commission. Mamata Banerjee's nephew is ahead of her in lying. He is making tall claims that he will break limbs... Now, Abhishek Banerjee is trying to become a hero by starting a new excuse," the BJP leader told reporters at Kharagpur.
Claiming that TMC itself has "come out from Congress culture", the BJP leader hit out at the other opposition party for having an SIR during their tenure but opposing it now.
"This (SIR) has happened 10 times during the Congress party's tenure why are you saying now? They have also come from the Congress culture, they only know how to make claims, but not work," Ghosh added.
Earlier on Tuesday, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee reiterated that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was a way to exclude voters from the voting list and deprive them of their voting rights.
He said that if the voting rights of genuine voters are snatched in West Bengal then one lakh people will gherao the office of the Election Commission of India in New Delhi.
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Abhishek Banerjee said, "Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has announced Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal in the middle of Chhath festivities. The SIR is not actually revision, but it is a way to exclude voters from the list and deprive them of their voting rights. Earlier, people used to vote to decide the government but now the government is deciding who should vote. When SIR was done in 2002, it took two years. And now in two months they will do it."
He further said that elections are to be held in 5 places in the next year, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry but they have excluded SIR in Assam.
"In Assam, the BJP is in power. So wherever the BJP is in power, SIR will not take place. SIR will happen in Bengal. Then why are they talking about One Nation, One Poll? In whose instructions is EC working? Five Indian states share a border with Bangladesh. West Bengal, Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura and Mizoram. SIR is taking place only in Bengal. Why not SIR implement in the other four states which share a border with Bangladesh," he added.
According to the Election Commission, printing and training will take place from October 28 to November 3, followed by an Enumeration Phase from November to December 4. The Draft Electoral Rolls will be published on December 9, followed by a claims and objection period from December 9 to January 8, 2026. The Notice Phase (for hearing and verification) will take place between December 9 and January 31, 202, with publication of Final Electoral Rolls on February 7, 2026. (ANI)