Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday advised BJP MPs from Bengal not to focus on the religion or caste of voters during public discussions on the SIR but to project it as a drive to sanitise the electoral rolls to ensure that only Indians are part of it.
“During the meeting, the Prime Minister told us not to discuss the exclusion of individuals in the SIR process based on their caste, religion or which side they are on. He advised that discussions should focus on how only Indian citizens should be on the electoral rolls. We will work in that direction,” said BJP’s Ranaghat MP Jagannath Sarkar, who was one of the 14 Bengal parliamentarians who attended the meeting with Modi.
BJP insiders claimed that public comments about the deletion of voters from the rolls and targeting minorities were helping the ruling Trinamool Congress to consolidate its “core vote bank” once again. This, the insiders felt, would help Mamata buck anti-incumbency issues such as failing law and order, job scams and atrocities on women.
“Trinamool has already seized the opportunity to use the SIR to divert attention from anti-incumbency issues. The more we harp on Rohingya or Bangladeshi Muslims, the minorities would panic and consolidate under the Trinamool umbrella even though there is palpable discontent among them against the Mamata Banerjee government,” said a BJP leader.
“So, Modiji’s advice was significant,” he added.
BJP MPs from Bengal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday
The Prime Minister met the Bengal BJP MPs in Parliament and discussed party affairs, the target it had set ahead of the Assembly elections and the role of parliamentarians in a state where “law and order is a major concern”.
Bengal BJP leaders such as Suvendu Adhikari and Samik Bhattacharya have been aggressively campaigning about the possibility of the removal of over one crore “Bangladeshi Muslims” and “Rohingya” from the voter list.
However, at recent rallies in minority-dominated districts, both Adhikari and Bhattacharya have toned down their rhetoric by saying that “Indian Muslims” do not need to fear the SIR.
Asked about Sarkar’s comment, Bhattacharya said: “Modiji has said that the SIR is a process of purification of electoral rolls and it is to ensure that only Indians can vote. So, there is no connection with any caste or religion at all.”
During the meeting, Modi is said to have highlighted the law-and-order situation in Bengal and asked leaders to speak about how “Trinamool goons” had attacked tribal MP Khagen Murmu in flood-hit Nagrakata of Jalpaiguri on October 5. He also advised the MPs to reach out to those who did not vote for the party in earlier polls.
“He said there were sections of people, irrespective of religion, caste and creed, who have many issues based on their identities. So, the MPs should connect with those people and the youth,” a BJP MP said.
Political analysts believe that Modi had recognised that the aggressive campaign on the SIR was helping Trinamool and backfiring on the BJP despite high anti-incumbency.
“It is true that an aggressive campaign for the SIR, with threats of removal of crores of voters, has been helping Trinamool. The Prime Minister’s remarks reflect his understanding that such aggression would not help his party win the elections next year. So, he advised the MPs to go slow on the SIR and focus more on public relations,” political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty said.
“As the Prime Minister, he is also concerned about the tension in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. He probably does not want the SIR in a bordering state such as Bengal to disturb international relations,” Chakraborty added.
A source said Darjeeling MP Raju Bista raised the north Bengal flood at the meeting and flagged the state government’s refusal to notify it a “disaster” so that central funds can be allocated towards disaster rehabilitation.
On Wednesday, Adhikari held a 25-minute meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah and later visited chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s office to lodge SIR-related complaints. Modi is likely to visit Bengal on December 20 to attend a government programme and a public rally in Nadia’s Ranaghat. BJP sources said the modalities of the tour were being finalised.