Following his visit to the family of Pradeep Kar, a 57-year-old resident who allegedly died by suicide in Panihati due to fears over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists and whispers of a National Register of Citizens (NRC) - Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday, issued a direct ultimatum for BJP workers.
Standing inside the Panihati colony - a place mostly habituated by people who have migrated from Bangladesh decades ago, Banerjee urged residents to maintain calm and not to fear deportation. “As along as Mamata Banerjee government is there, not a single legitimate voter will be allowed to be wronged or disenfranchised”, he said, amidst growing discourse that failure to compliance with documentation, may lead to repercussions.
Highlighting that the documentation verification also included people to furnish the birth certificates of their parents, in order to prove their citizenship - if being asked for by the poll officer - the Diamond Harbour MP questioned if Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar can produce their parents’ birth certificates. He urged people to resist any fear and challenge them who ask for documents to prove their citizenship.
"If they [BJP workers or supporters] come here, if they come here and ask for documents them tie them up. Don't hit them. And say…first show the documents of your father and grandfather, then we will release you. Tell them to produce documents of their fore fathers. Release them after that…” Banerjee thundered.
The Diamond Harbour MP, who met Kar's grieving brother Tapan - himself recovering from open-heart surgery, escalated his attack on the BJP's citizenship verification drive, questioning the credentials of top leaders. "Can Gyanesh Kumar show his father's name in the voter list? Can you show Amit Shah's birth certificate? Starting from the Prime Minister to every cabinet minister, can they produce papers for their fathers and grandfathers?”, he said, accusing the Centre and Election Commission of manufacturing fear to disenfranchise genuine voters.
Pradeep Kar, a single man but with family, was found hanging in his home on October 28, just 24 hours after the Election Commission announced SIR, set to begin form distribution on November 4. His suicide note explicitly blamed "SIR and NRC," sending shockwaves through West Bengal.
Banerjee revealed that Kar was the family's sole breadwinner, leaving his ailing brother and dependents in dire straits. "No BJP leader - who claim to protect Hindus, has visited this family even 24 hours after the tragedy," he slammed.
The TMC leader recounted another incident: While at Kar's home, news broke of a man in Dinhata attempting suicide by consuming poison over similar fears, now hospitalised. Vowing resistance, Banerjee declared: "If even one valid voter is deleted from the list, we will mobilise one lakh people to besiege the Election Commission office." He assured locals, many with decades-long roots in Bengal, "Don't fear. Nothing would happen. You can't label generations-old residents as Bangladeshis." He also announced party help desks at every SIR camp to assist people to get through the procedural works and announced a massive rally in Panihati on Thursday under the banner "Justice for Pradeep Kar."
