NEW DELHI: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday launched a broadside against the Election Commission and accused it of “destroying foundation of Indian democracy on BJP’s behalf.”Mamata said that the celebration national voters’ day by the poll body is “tragic farce”, claiming that she is deeply distressed and disturbed by their conduct.“Election Commission of India is celebrating National Voters’ Day today, and what a tragic farce that is! The Commission — working as His Master’s Voice– is busy now in snatching away people’s voting rights, and they have the temerity to celebrate Voters’ Day!” Mamata wrote in a social media post on X.“I am deeply distressed and disturbed by their conduct today,” she added.Further, she claimed that the Election Commission “torturing people in an unprecedented manner” at the of its “political masters.” “In stead of complying with the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s verdict and working as per rules and norms to provide and protect the democratic voting rights of people, ECI is finding newer and newer pretexts in the name of logical discrepancy to harass the people and try to deny them and take away from them their electoral rights! On behalf of BJP, their Master, they are busy in bulldozing the Opposition and destroying the foundation of Indian democracy, and yet they have the guts to celebrate Voters’ Day!!” Mamata said.“ECI, you are torturing people today in an unprecedented manner. More than 130 persons have died because of your tortures. Can you summon– the way you are doing– persons above 85, 90, 95 years of age, and even physically challenged persons to physically appear before you to prove their credentials? The stress caused by this kind of illegal pressure is leading to series of suicides and deaths, and yet you are continuing to do this at the behest of your political masters. You have made it NRC trial for citizens, including particularly those belonging to minorities, scheduled castes and tribes,” she added.CM Mamata has repeatedly voiced concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls ahead of the assembly elections in the state. After the first phase the draft electoral rolls, published on December 16 last year, showed the electorate shrinking from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore, with over 58 lakh names deleted statewide.According to EC officials, the exclusions in the first phase were based on reasons such as death, permanent migration, duplication, and non-submission of enumeration forms.The poll panel has emphasised that voters marked as unmapped or discrepant are being given an opportunity to be heard. The final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on February 14.
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