Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Kolkata, Oct 29 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday sought protection of voting rights of all genuine voters in the state and the country, but avoided directly mentioning the special intensive review (SIR) in the state that was announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) earlier this week.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion of Jagatdhatri Puja, the Chief Minister said, “The pillars of democracy should be kept strong. The democratic rights of all should be protected. Everyone should be able to exercise their rights.”
On this occasion he also talked about the rich tradition of communal harmony in West Bengal. Banerjee said, “We celebrate all religious festivals. Although everyone has the right to practice their religion, festivals are for everyone. I want peace in West Bengal. I want the people of the country to live in peace. I do not want the practice of divide and rule in the country.”
Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, particularly stressed on the need for people to remain united and said unity among people is the only way to save humanity. He said, “When the five fingers of the palm remain united, the grip becomes stronger. Therefore, under no circumstances should we allow the grip to loosen. Great souls of West Bengal like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda have always talked about the unity of the people.”
However, surprisingly, the Chief Minister carefully avoided making a direct mention of the SIR in West Bengal, especially as Trinamool general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee continued his verbal attacks against the BJP on the issue.
On Wednesday, he even asked people to catch local BJP leaders if they asked for the birth certificates of their parents during the SIR or National Register of Citizens (NRC) verification of West Bengal’s voter list.
He accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of being responsible for creating an atmosphere of panic and demanded criminal action against them.
–IANS
Source/VD