Cooch Behar/ Kolkata, March 1: A day after the publication of West Bengal’s post-SIR electoral rolls that saw 63.66 lakh names deleted, BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Sunday claimed that “more than 50 lakh infiltrators” had been removed from the voter list and asserted that “time is up for illegal immigrants” in the state.
Addressing a rally in Cooch Behar while flagging off the party’s ‘Poriborton Yatra’, Nabin alleged that those removed from the electoral rolls were “infiltrators” who had been availing government jobs and benefits of welfare schemes meant for genuine citizens.
“More than 50 lakh infiltrators have been removed from the voter list. These infiltrators were not only violating the rights of legitimate citizens, but also jeopardising the security of the country,” he said.
Accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of shielding illegal migrants, Nabin alleged that she had provided “protection to infiltrators by helping them obtain fake documents”.
The BJP chief alleged that several central schemes were not being implemented properly in the state.
BJP using EC to influence polls: Abhishek
Meanwhile, escalating his attack on the Election Commission over the post-SIR electoral rolls in West Bengal, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday alleged that the “target of deleting over one crore voters was decided even before the exercise began”.
The TMC national general secretary announced that Mamata would stage a dharna on March 6 against what he described as “arbitrary deletions” under the SIR.
Addressing a press conference a day after the publication of the first phase of post-SIR final rolls, Banerjee claimed that BJP leaders had publicly stated that “1.2 crore names” would be removed from the rolls and alleged that the cumulative number of deletions and voters kept “under adjudication” now corresponds closely to that figure.
“The target of deleting over one crore voters in West Bengal was decided even before SIR commenced. BJP leaders have repeatedly said 1.2 crore names will be removed. If you add the deletions and those put under adjudication, the number corresponds closely to the figure of 1.2 crore,” he said.
BJP-TMC clash
Supporters of the ruling TMC and opposition BJP clashed in south Kolkata’on Sunday over drawing graffiti on a wall for the upcoming assembly elections. A BJP leader alleged that when they were drawing graffiti on a wall, TMC members attacked them. “Some of our members were injured in the attack,” he claimed.
TMC rejected the allegations. (PTI)
