The BJP has said that the process has exposed large-scale infiltration and accused the Mamata Banerjee-led government of shielding illegal immigrants.
The party spokesperson, Pratul Shah Deo, said, “One thing is clear that since SIR began, illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators have been fleeing back to Bangladesh. This is the kind of deterrence that needs to be created. It is true, and it is unfortunate, that the maximum discrepancies under SIR were found in Mamata Banerjee’s constituency, where the highest number of people were removed. This clearly indicates that in West Bengal there was an attempt by the government to provide, in effect, state patronage to infiltrators.”
The BJP’s remarks came after Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Wednesday stated that the SIR process is helping identify and drive out Bangladeshi infiltrators from the state. In an interview with IANS, the Governor said that the review process has already triggered an outflow of illegal immigrants and would have a visible impact on the electoral system.
“Infiltration is a reality which came to the fore when the SIR process started. There is also an outflow of illegal migrants from Bengal through the border to Bangladesh. This is a situation, a phenomenon that has been studied in depth to a very large extent,” Bose said.
He added that the SIR would influence the Assembly elections and “cleanse” the system. “As far as it affects the elections, the SIR process will certainly bring about a change. It will cleanse the system to a great extent,” he told IANS.
When asked about the Centre’s assertion that SIR would help curb the impact of illegal immigrants on elections, the Governor noted that while the problem would reduce, it may not be “completely eliminated.”
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has pushed back against the BJP’s narrative.
On SIR, Trinamool MP Sushmita Dev said, “There are 58 lakh names in the draft list, and those whose names are missing have the right to file claims and objections. We have always said that if someone has passed away or is an illegal infiltrator, they should be removed. However, as Mamata Banerjee has clearly stated, we will not allow the name of any genuine citizen or voter to be removed under any circumstances…”
With SIR becoming a major political flashpoint ahead of elections, the issue of infiltration and voter verification is set to dominate West Bengal’s political discourse in the coming months.
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