NEW DELHI/KOLKATA, Nov 29: The Trinamool Congress on Saturday demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) immediately release the transcription of the meeting of the party’s 10-member Parliamentary delegation with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at the commission’s headquarters in Delhi on November 28.
The leader of the Parliamentary delegation, Derek O’Brien, who is also the leader of the Trinamool Congress Parliamentary party in the Rajya Sabha, said on Saturday that the meeting between the delegation and the CEC lasted around 55 minutes and the commission should release the full transcript for the sake of transparency.
On Friday evening, after the meeting, Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee claimed that the ECI was misleading the public through selective leaks about the delegation’s point-wise rebuttal of apprehensions over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal that were raised at Friday’s meeting.
He also said the party had enough digital evidence to show how the ECI’s narrative was being distorted through planted and fabricated leaks and therefore the commission should think twice before choosing to pick a fight with West Bengal and the Trinamool Congress.
A day after the meeting, the Trinamool leadership demanded the release of the full transcript.
O’Brien also questioned why the CEC refrained from holding an official press conference to brief media persons about the proceedings of Friday’s meeting. “We have nothing to hide. If the ECI has nothing to hide it should take its time and then hold an official press briefing on the matter,” O’Brien said on Saturday.
He criticised the commission’s decision to appoint central observers to review the ongoing exercise in the state.
“The decision to appoint roll observers was taken by the commission without consulting the state government. ECI is crossing all its limits,” O’Brien said.
50 YEAR OLD WOMAN DIES IN BENGAL; FAMILY LINKS DEATH TO SIR
A middleaged woman died after allegedly setting herself on fire in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district, with her family claiming she was under severe mental stress due to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which began on November 4.
Mustara Khatun Kazi (50), who was unmarried and lived with her parents, had been deeply anxious about the ongoing SIR verification, despite her name appearing in the 2002 voter list, a senior police official said, quoting family members.
“We repeatedly tried to reassure her that she would face no difficulty with the documentation process and had even submitted her enumeration form on Friday, but continued to be under stress.”
“Family members noticed flames in late night hours and rushed to her rescue. She was taken to Bhatar Block Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival,” the police official said.
Expressing shock over the incident, Bhatar gram panchayat member Saiful Haque said: “She was repeatedly told there was nothing to fear. Yet she was under severe mental stress.” Haque blamed the Election Commission, alleging that the SIR process was launched in a hurried and unplanned manner, resulting in confusion, panic, and psychological distress among vulnerable citizens.
Later in the day, local MLA Mangobinda Adhikari visited the family, offering support and warned of protests if such incidents recur. (Agencies)
