If You Don't Trust ECI, Contest In Pakistan Or Bangladesh Instead: Sukanta Majumdar's Jibe At TMC

New Delhi: Amid repeated allegations by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of improper deletions of voters from the West Bengal electoral rolls, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar on Wednesday said that the party should instead "contest in Pakistan or Bangladesh" If they don't trust any constitutional institution in the country.

Speaking to ANI outside Parliament, Majumdar said, "TMC is raising questions on the Supreme Court and the Election Commission. If you don't trust all of India's constitutional institutions, then questions arise about you. Then what's the justification for you contesting elections here? Go contest where you accept the election commission. Contest in Pakistan or Bangladesh."

TMC has launched multiple protests against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), alleging that particular groups of voters in West Bengal have been improperly deleted from the electoral rolls, with the Election Commission of India also unwilling to answer any questions raised by the parties.

As part of its ongoing protest, TMC MP Saugata Roy said the party plans to move an impeachment motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging serious irregularities in the conduct of the SIR exercise. Roy said the move would be brought under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, which deals with the powers and functions of the Election Commission.

"We shall bring an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner as per Article 324 of the Constitution. We have many, many complaints about him," Roy said. Earlier on Tuesday, TMC's National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee criticised the Revision exercise of the voters' list, alleging that several questions raised by the party regarding the deletion of voters' names remained unanswered.

"Several questions were posed to Gyanesh Kumar (CEC), but he didn't answer all of those. I thank the media for those questions. The Supreme Court heard the SIR matter today. Our suspicions that voters' names were unilaterally deleted were raised before the Court," Banerjee said.

He added that the Supreme Court expressed unhappiness over the issue and directed the High Court to provide facilities for voters seeking to appeal against deletions from the electoral rolls. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too alleged that attempts were being made to divide the people of the state and questioned the recent change in the office of the Governor, asking why the Centre replaced the incumbent if "there was nothing fishy."

Speaking during the last day of her dharna against SIR at Dharmatala, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, The game of dividing Bengal, dividing people, must stop. I want the people of Rajasthan to also think about this. Jains, Buddhists, tribals, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs--everyone, all religions, classes, sects--should think about this. If there was nothing fishy, why did they change the Governor a month ago?"

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