Mamata Banerjee Begs CJI: Justice Crying Behind Closed Doors Over Bengal Voter Row
Mamata Banerjee dramatically pleads in Supreme Court against ECI's voter list revision in Bengal, alleging selective targeting.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a sharp and impassioned attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) while personally appearing before the Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant. Challenging the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls in the state, Banerjee claimed democratic rights were being undermined. “Justice is crying behind closed doors,” she told the court, seeking urgent intervention.
Granted time by the bench to present her case, Banerjee alleged that repeated representations to the Election Commission had gone unanswered. She stated that she had written six letters to the poll body without receiving any response, accusing it of acting arbitrarily. Her arguments quickly escalated into a broader critique of the ECI’s conduct and intent.
The bench, also comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and VM Pancholi, acknowledged the seriousness of her concerns and assured that institutional remedies exist. The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Election Commission and cautioned it to exercise sensitivity while issuing SIR notices. The court also took note of Banerjee’s submission that notices were sent to prominent individuals, including Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and noted poet Joy Goswami.
Also Read: Partha Chatterjee Joins Bengal Assembly Committees After Release in Recruitment Scam Case
Banerjee argued that the SIR process risks disenfranchising voters over minor discrepancies such as spelling errors, language differences, or surname changes after marriage. She cited instances where women were allegedly placed on discrepancy lists for adopting their in-laws’ surnames. The chief minister stressed that such practices could unfairly exclude genuine voters.
She further alleged that the Election Commission was violating previous court directions by refusing to accept Aadhaar as valid identification. Claiming selective targeting, Banerjee said Bengal was being singled out ahead of elections while other states were allowed to use domicile and caste certificates. Questioning the urgency, she asked why the exercise was undertaken after 24 years and rushed within three months.
Raising additional concerns, Banerjee linked the SIR exercise to reported deaths and hospitalisation of booth-level officers during the process. She alleged that Bengal was being “bulldozed” politically and emotionally appealed to the court with folded hands to protect citizens’ rights. The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for Monday, keeping the issue under close scrutiny.
Also Read: Mamata Banerjee Leads Protest Delegation to CEC Over SIR Issues in Bengal
