Mamata Banerjee Warns SIR Could Lead to NRC and Threaten Citizenship on Constitution Day

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Constitution Day expressed deep concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, suggesting that it is a precursor to a National Register of Citizens (NRC)-style exercise that could jeopardize the citizenship rights of many Indians. Speaking after paying tribute to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian Constitution, she asserted that citizens were being unfairly targeted and scrutinized decades after independence under the guise of electoral verification.

Banerjee emphasized that the ongoing efforts to revise voter lists through SIR were being misused to undermine democracy, secularism, and federalism, values enshrined in the Constitution. She called upon citizens to vigilantly safeguard constitutional principles that unite the nation’s diverse cultures and communities. In a social media post earlier in the day, she reiterated the necessity to protect the Constitution as the backbone of India’s unity and democracy.

Highlighting the involvement of Bengal’s Constituent Assembly members in shaping the Constitution, Banerjee praised their vision and urged continued commitment to democratic values amid current political challenges. She framed the controversy surrounding the SIR as more than just an administrative exercise, warning that it risks infringing on the dignity and sense of belonging of many people, particularly minorities and migrants.

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Banerjee’s remarks come amid growing tensions over the SIR process in West Bengal and other states, where there have been fears of disenfranchisement and exclusion similar to those witnessed during the Assam NRC exercise. She reaffirmed her government’s opposition to any attempt to impose NRC in Bengal, promising to protect the rights and identities of all residents.

On Constitution Day, observed annually on November 26 to honour the adoption of the Indian Constitution and its framers, Banerjee’s warnings underscored the ongoing debates about citizenship, identity, and the integrity of India’s democratic institutions.​

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