West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (ANI photo)
NEW DELHI: Stepping up her attack against the Election Commission over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the poll panel was “illegally using mobile applications developed by the BJP’s IT cell” to conduct a roll-revision exercise in the poll-bound state.Banerjee also accused the EC of adopting what she described as “wrong, unconstitutional and undemocratic” methods to carry out the revision exercise ahead of assembly elections.“The EC is resorting to all kinds of wrong moves for conducting the SIR. It is marking eligible voters as ‘dead’ and forcing the elderly, ill and indisposed to attend hearings. It is making use of mobile apps developed by the BJP’s IT cell for the exercise. This is illegal, unconstitutional and undemocratic. This cannot go on,” the chief minister alleged, according to news agency PTI.The TMC supremo’s fresh set of allegations against the poll panel was made on a day when her party MP Derek O’Brien moved the Supreme Court against the EC, claiming it has taken recourse to “arbitrary and procedurally irregular actions” for conducting the ongoing SIR in West Bengal.The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise has “substantially aggravated difficulties faced by eligible and bona fide electors” in the state, the TMC alleged. Banerjee said, “I urge the people to remain careful while participating in SIR. They must stand beside those who need help. They don’t need to support me; support only those who are in trouble because of this exercise.”Meanwhile, the BJP rejected the charge as baseless and politically motivated.
