Wrong of Mamata Banerjee to call EC "mynah in cage", says Union Minister Ramdas Athawale

New Delhi [India], March 3 (ANI): Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Monday lashed out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for alleging manipulation in the electoral process.
Athawale stated that the Election Commission worked in its own way, and it was wrong for Mamata Banerjee to call the Election Commission a 'mynah in a cage'.
Speaking to ANI, Athawale said, "The Election Commission works in its own way. Those whose names are not on the voter's list have the full right to register their names.... Mamata Banerjee is a senior leader, and it is not right for her to make such allegations and call the Election Commission a 'mynah in a cage'."
Earlier, the West Bengal Chief Electoral officer also refuted claims of manipulation in the electoral process.
The West Bengal CEO posted on X and said, "As per RP Act 1950, Registration of Electors Rules 1960 and Manual on Electoral Rolls, concerned BLOs, AEROs, EROs, DEOs and CEOs in any State/UT work for the updation of Electoral Rolls."
"This is done with active participation of Booth Level Agents appointed by political parties. Any specific claim or objections are to be made first before the concerned 80,633 BLOs, 3,049 AEROs and 294 EROs in West Bengal," the CEO said.
This comes after CM Mamata Banerjee formed a committee last month to check the irregularities in the voter's list in every district of West Bengal.
She alleged that the "BJP added fake voters" to the voters' list to manipulate elections in Maharashtra and Delhi, and they were trying the same trick in West Bengal.
"Sitting in the Election Commissioner's office, they have created a fake voter's list online, and in every district of West Bengal, fake voters have been added. Using this trick, they have won elections in Delhi and Maharashtra. The opposition in Maharashtra could not find out these facts. Most of the fake voters are from Haryana and Gujarat. BJP is manipulating voters list with the blessing of EC, Bengal's culture gave rise to independence," she said.
The Chief Minister further appealed to the people of Bengal to check their voter list.
"The actual names can be removed any day in the name of NRC and CAA. It has two main objectives. One is to defeat TMC and to remove the names of persons on the list. This is being done with the blessings of the EC. Keep a watch on data operators. If anyone is at the grassroots, then it is TMC. In the 2026 Assembly polls, we have to hit the ball harder, and this would start from the voter's list. This has to be done at the booth level. District president would have to take care of this," she said.
She further said that an IT Media cell, panchayat councillors, and a core committee will be formed to access the voters' list. (ANI)