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Kolkata, Nov 18 (IANS) A video that has gone viral on social media purportedly shows a Trinamool Congress leader threatening violence if the names of valid voters are removed from the voter list in West Bengal during the Special Intensive Review (SIR) being conducted by the Election Commission.
The incident reportedly took place in Supur village of Bolpur in Birbhum district on Monday. Incidentally, Trinamool Congress MLA Chandranath Sinha was present at the party meeting where the controversial statement was made.
IANS has not independently verified the video and therefore cannot confirm its authenticity.
In the video clip, local Trinamool leader Babu Das was heard saying, “The voter list is being intensively revised in West Bengal. There is no problem in practice. But if the name of even one valid voter is removed, there will be consequences. If the Chief Minister orders, I will cremate him in the crematorium. Ajay River is nearby – I will flush the BJP agents into that river.”
After the controversial statement, there was no reaction from Trinamool MLA Chandranath Sinha, who was sitting on the stage in the meeting.
Meanwhile, the BJP criticized the Trinamool Congress for issuing death threats to the opposition party over the SIR exercise.
BJP’s Bolpur District President Shyamapad Mandal said that BJP will not sit idle. The BJP leader said, “TMC leaders are threatening our workers with violence. Do they think we will sit idle? The SIR process is being conducted by the Election Commission. BJP is not involved in it. Trinamool Congress is politicizing the issue.”
This is not the first time that TMC leaders have threatened the BJP or the Election Commission on this issue. Party’s All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee had vowed to launch a massive protest against the Election Commission with one lakh people over deletion of names of valid voters from Bengal’s voter list in the name of SIR exercise.
–IANS
SH/SKP