The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday took a dig at Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, moments after Kolkata was jolted by an earthquake today, asking whether the tremors were caused due to the Special Intesive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state.
In a social media post, BJP’s West Bengal unit asked, “West Bengal just felt earthquake tremors. Mamata Banerjee, was it because of SIR?”
West Bengal just felt earthquake tremors. @MamataOfficial , was it because of SIR?
— BJP West Bengal (@BJP4Bengal) November 21, 2025
The party was apparently mocking Mamata Banerjee over her claim that the SIR process is “unplanned and dangerous” and has created chaos in the state. The Bengal CM, in a letter addressed to CEC Gyanesh Kumar, even linked several suicides to the ongoing voter roll revision, alleging deaths due to the excessive work pressure due to the time limit set for the completion of the SIR process.
Banerjee said she had repeatedly raised concerns about the SIR but the situation had now reached “a deeply alarming stage.” She accused the Election Commission of thrusting the exercise upon the state without basic preparedness, proper planning, or clear communication, leaving both officials and citizens struggling.
Seeking an immediate halt to the SIR exercise in Bengal, the Trinamool Congress chief alleged that the “inhuman” manner in which the process was being carried out “without basic preparedness” had “crippled the system from day one”. She furher highlighted “critical gaps in training” and the “near-impossibility” of the booth-level officers (BLOs) to devote time to the SIR work.
“If this path is not corrected without delay, the consequences for the system, the officials and the citizens will be irreversible,” she wrote, underscoring the need for “responsibility, humanity and decisive corrective action”.
“BLOs already stretched and distressed are being threatened with severe disciplinary action simply because the Commission refuses to acknowledge the reality on the ground,” Banerjee added.
The Bengal CM urged the Election Commission to immediately halt the SIR, stop coercive measures against BLOs, provide proper training, and reassess the methodology and timelines.
