Speaking at a public meeting, Mamata Banerjee also warned against digital misinformation and urged vigilance among voters.
Photo : PTI
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday levelled a sensational charge against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the party had used artificial intelligence to delete the names of 54 lakh voters from the electoral rolls ahead of elections. Warning people against “digital manipulation” and fake videos on social media, Banerjee claimed the exercise was aimed at creating duplicate entries to deprive citizens of their voting rights.
Addressing a public meeting at Barjora in Bankura district, Chief Minister Banerjee said, “Don’t believe every video on the social media. Today there is AI. They (BJP) have deleted names of 54 lakh voters with the help of AI. Just see that the BJP is doing this. Duplicate names are being made to snatch your voting rights. When you will go to the polling booth, you will find out that you cannot vote as someone having the same name will cast your vote. Keep you eyes and ears open. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) means your doom.”
She alleged that the party had set off to remove 1.5 crore names from Bengal’s voters’ list and alleged that Booth Level Agents (BLAs) are not allowed inside hearing polling centres. “Instructions are being issued through the WhatsApp. If you (Election Commission) have guts then give us in writing. We will go to the people’s court and the court of law for justice,” CM Banerjee said, IANS reported.
She also asked BLAs to remain stationed in SIR camps set up by the Trinamool Congress to provide all kinds of assistance to people who have been called for the SIR hearings.
“What was the crime of an elderly person from Purulia? He was called for an SIR hearing yesterday. Humiliated by this, that person has committed suicide. Don’t you have sympathy? If your parents were called for hearings, wouldn’t you be ashamed? Have some shame and stop harassing people of Bengal in the name of SIR,” Chief Minister Banerjee said.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused the West Bengal government of allowing illegal immigration from Bangladesh for political gains, claiming the state’s demography has been “dangerously altered” over the years.
The home minister accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of promoting a culture of fear and violence and said, “We will identify infiltrators and drive them out,” Shah said.
SIR in Bengal: 58 lakh names deleted
West Bengal’s voter base has seen one of its biggest shake-ups in decades, with over 58 lakh names missing from the draft electoral rolls released under the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision. According to the draft rolls published on Tuesday, the state’s electorate has dropped from about 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore voters.
