Kolkata: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was functioning like an “extended arm” of the BJP to favor the ruling party in upcoming elections.
Referring to the recently concluded special intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, Banerjee told reporters outside Kolkata airport, “It is helping the ruling party in the country to loot votes. Voting rights are being taken away from a large number of people. Even fake voter identity cards have been issued. In the name of conducting SIR, people are being harassed. We have seen it happening in 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls when central force personnel had shot four people dead in Cooch Behar district's Sitalkuchi.”
Asked about allegations of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants in Bengal, Banerjee said it was the Union Home Ministry and the Border Security Force’s responsibility to prevent infiltration. “Even if I agree that these people have entered the country illegally, then who is responsible for stopping their entry? Who mans the international borders? If the security of the country is compromised, then the Union Home Minister, BSF’s director general, and IB director should resign,” he said.
Banerjee also took to social media on Monday, criticizing calls to separate politics from sports and opposing any sporting ties with Pakistan.
“INDIA MUST NOT ENGAGE WITH PAKISTAN in any sphere. The only engagement we should have with Pakistan is on the BATTLEFIELD, and the only prize worth WINNING is Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK),” he wrote.
Accusing Pakistan of decades of exporting terrorism, he said, “When a nation wages a proxy war, there is no 'neutral ground.' THERE IS NO CRICKET PITCH WISE ENOUGH TO WASH OFF THE BLOOD OF OUR MARTYRS.”
He added that while cricketers are respected, the country’s freedom and security owe much to the armed forces. “Our TRICOLOUR flies high not because of a bat and ball, but because of the unmatched courage and valour of our armed forces. We honour our cricketers, but as a nation, we revere our soldiers,” Banerjee said.