Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a broadside against the “Bengali-phobic” saffron regime and the Election Commission — allegedly the BJP’s “bonded labourers” — following a Nirvachan Sadan-ordered suspension of four Bengal officials for “lapses” in preparation of electoral roll.

The chief minister questioned the very legality of the move, and pulled no punches in her rant against Union home minister Amit Shah and chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, bringing up their association to underscore the alleged dubiosity of the EC’s motives.

The Trinamool chief also promised to fight to the finish the EC’s special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll, which she now calls a “backdoor NRC”, besides being a “conspiracy to disenfranchise” the marginalised who she says are unlikely to vote for the BJP.

“(The SIR) is a stratagem of the BJP, behind which hides the larger, sinister conspiracy of the NRC...,” said Mamata, recalling some of the horrors of the exclusionary NRC exercise in BJP-ruled Assam, at Jhargram after a march in her ongoing Bhasha Andolon (language movement).

“Have they zero shame? In the name of a voter list, the BJP wants to create a party list…. Even government officials are being threatened! Only yesterday, our officials were issued notices and suspended. The polls here have not even been announced yet… under what law of this land can you send such notices or suspend people?” asked a visibly irate Mamata, her voice cracking many times during her 41-minute speech. “They are claiming that FIRs will be filed. That will simply not happen. I will not allow this.”

She was referring to a Nirvachan Sadan directive to Nabanna to suspend four officials and lodge FIRs against them for allegedly inserting fictitious names in the electoral rolls of the Moyna and Baruipur Purba Assembly seats.

“They are threatening our officers, our police.... We will gladly sacrifice our lives to ensure your safety. Do not worry, do not lose hope. They come here for a couple of months for the election season and go back like migratory birds,” she said.

“A long time remains for the polls, but already the BJP’s bonded labourers have begun suspending people..... Acting as Amit Shah’s agents...? Does the home minister think whatever he says will happen? Who are you?” thundered Mamata to applause from thousands. “If they try to threaten our officers, we have enough courage and strength to protect them if they are right…. I will always be your paharadar (guard).”

Implying she had dirt on someone in the EC top brass, Mamata advised caution. “Do not provoke me…. Do your job properly, respectfully…. I will accord you respect,” she said.

“This chief election commissioner, with due respect to the chair, is a puppet in the hands of Amit Shah. He used to be principal secretary in the Union ministry of cooperation (also under Shah),” said Mamata. “If they try to silence me, the people will silence them.”

Mamata accused the BJP of having won Maharashtra, Haryana, and Delhi, and also also the 2024 Lok Sabha polls through electoral roll manipulation with the EC's help.

She asked how people born before birth certificates became prevalent could produce the paper for themselves and their parents.

“Oh Mr. Amit Shah, have me jailed if I am incorrect. Do you have your parents' birth certificates?” she asked, urging all eligible citizens from Bengal to ensure their names stay on the voter list.

Besides the SIR issue, Mamata drew attention to the saffron camp's alleged marginalisation of the Bengali identity.

“Jailed for speaking Bengali, labelled Bangladeshi or Rohingya!” fumed Mamata, going on to underscore Bengal and the Bengali people’s unparalleled role in the South Asian Renaissance, the freedom struggle and nation-building.

“Without Bengal, neither India nor the world can move forward. They are now saying there is no language called Bengali…. If they remove the names of genuine Bengalis… I will tell the whole world how this government is torturing us,” she said. “It is being said I should be arrested under the National Security Act.... Tell me, when will you have me arrested and shot?”