Mamata Banerjee on Monday continued her tirade against the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bengal, but at the same time, assured people of various communities that they would face no inconvenience on account of the exercise or the Waqf Amendment Act.

The chief minister, who began a two-day visit to Cooch Behar district on Monday afternoon, addressed an administrative review meeting at Rabindra Bhavan here, where she questioned the timing and urgency of the SIR.

“Why must everything be done in such a hurry? Last time, the process took two years. I don’t understand how a neutral commission can act so biasedly. Where is impartiality? Such things weaken democracy,” she said.

Mamata alleged that conducting the SIR just months before the Assembly polls was an attempt to stall development projects.

“I know BLOs (booth-level officers) and BLAs (booth-level agents) are working under pressure. This exercise has been taken up to halt development, but let us be clear that development is a continuous process. Everyone must support the BLOs and BLAs,”
she added.

The chief minister said a section of government employees involved in the SIR drive could not take the pressure, noting that several BLOs and others had died, while some were undergoing treatment after falling ill.

“They are also human beings,” she said, urging authorities to take their well-being seriously.

To assist citizens with the documentation required for hearings before the publication of the final electoral roll, Mamata announced that the state government would set up “May I Help You” camps from December 12.

Mamata also referred to recent notices issued by the foreigners’ tribunal in Assam to residents of Cooch Behar and Alipurduar, asking them to prove their citizenship.

“Assam has no authority to send such notices to residents of Bengal. I will never allow any detention camp in this state. These days, Bengali-speaking people are being labelled as Bangladeshis and tortured. This cannot continue,” she asserted.

Addressing the Nasya Sheikh (Rajbanshi Muslim) community, Mamata said the Waqf Amendment Act was a central law and reiterated that her government opposed the confiscation of religious land.

“We have taken initiatives for the development of burial grounds and mosques. Imams and muezzins receive a monthly allowance. We will not allow anyone to take away such land,” she said.

The chief minister also criticised the Border Security Force (BSF), referring to the recent return of Sunali Khatun alias Sonali and her son, who had been sent to Bangladesh.

“The BSF forcibly pushed them into Bangladesh even though they are Indian citizens. I have asked state police to remain alert and prevent such incidents,”
she remarked.

During the review meeting, Mamata distributed assistance to beneficiaries of various state government schemes. She inaugurated several projects and laid foundation stones for new ones across all eight districts of north Bengal through virtual mode.

According to sources in the Trinamool Congress, the chief minister is scheduled to address a public meeting on the Raasmela Ground in Cooch Behar town on Tuesday.