TMC’s Kunal Ghosh Accuses BJP of Creating Panic in Bengal Over SIR Exercise, Alleges Death Linked to Intimidation

By A Staff Reporter

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) exercise of the electoral rolls to spread fear and intimidation among voters in West Bengal.

Ghosh alleged that the BJP’s conduct during the exercise had caused distress among local residents, claiming that a woman in Dankuni’s Ward Number 20, identified as Hasina Begam, died of a cardiac arrest after being “disturbed and anxious” about the ongoing SIR-related proceedings.

“On the SIR issue, we have got an unfortunate news of death. In Ward Number 20 of Dankuni, Hasina Begam suffered a massive cardiac arrest. There is an allegation that she was in tension because of SIR,” Ghosh said in a statement.

He alleged that BJP workers were “threatening people” by saying those whose names do not appear on the electoral rolls would be sent to Bangladesh. “They were living here for long, but such statements created panic,” Ghosh added.

Accusing the BJP of trying to “influence the Election Commission” and “create fear in the name of the SIR exercise,” Ghosh said the TMC would pursue both a political and legal battle against what he described as “atrocities” being committed in the process.

“The TMC, under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, will not tolerate this. We will take this matter to the people and to the courts,” he said.