West Bengal – West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Election Commission of India during a massive public rally on Tuesday, making the Mamata Banerjee SIR protest one of the most significant political confrontations in the state ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. The Trinamool Congress supremo warned that she would “shake up India” if targeted, while leading a procession in the BJP stronghold of North 24 Parganas district.
Draft Electoral Roll Called a ‘Disaster’
At the heart of the Mamata Banerjee SIR protest is the ongoing special intensive revision of West Bengal’s electoral roll, ordered by the Election Commission on October 27. Addressing a large gathering, Banerjee declared that the first draft roll would be a “disaster,” alleging that wrong data is being systematically fed into the system.
“Take three years to conduct the SIR. I will help with all my resources. You cannot do it in two months. All sorts of wrong data is being fed. The draft list will be a disaster,” she stated emphatically before leading supporters along a three-kilometer route through the district.
Warning of National Campaign
The Mamata Banerjee SIR protest included a stark warning to her political opponents about the future. “2029 will be a dangerous year for you. Your government won’t stay. Where will you go after that? I will shake up India if you hit me. I will tour the entire nation after the state polls,” Banerjee declared, signaling her intention to expand her political activities beyond West Bengal after the 2026 state elections.
Her fiery rhetoric suggested that she views the electoral roll revision as part of a larger political strategy to undermine her party’s electoral prospects in the state.
Questioning Democratic Process
During the Mamata Banerjee SIR protest, the chief minister raised fundamental questions about the electoral process itself. “In the past, people decided who would form the government. Now the government is deciding who will cast the vote. Aadhaar, PAN, bank documents et al have no value. What the BJP says is followed. It is always Yes Papa. There is no Papa without BJP,” she said, without directly naming the Election Commission.
She questioned the timing and selectivity of the SIR implementation, asking why it was being conducted in West Bengal, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh but not in BJP-ruled Assam, where elections are also scheduled, or in Manipur and Mizoram.
Targeting Matua Community Concerns
The Mamata Banerjee SIR protest rally was held in Bongaon, a region with a large Dalit Matua population that came as refugees from East Pakistan after Partition and from Bangladesh after the 1971 Liberation War. The BJP has won the Lok Sabha seat twice here through Union Minister Shantanu Thakur.
Addressing the Matua community directly, Banerjee warned against falling for BJP’s Citizenship Amendment Act promises. “If you apply for citizenship under CAA you declare yourself a Bangladeshi. Think on your own. Don’t listen to me or the BJP’s social media campaign. Don’t be scared. Nobody can drive you away as long as I am here. The BJP is scaring people,” she stated.
CAA and Immigration Order Controversy
The Mamata Banerjee SIR protest addressed the complex issue of citizenship for refugees. The BJP has assured Matuas they are protected by the CAA, which Parliament passed in 2019. Bangladeshi non-Muslims are eligible for expedited citizenship under the CAA if they entered India on or before December 31, 2014 to escape religious persecution.
Banerjee highlighted what she termed a “double standard,” noting that the Union Home Ministry issued the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025, on September 1, allowing non-Muslim Bangladeshis who entered India on or before December 31, 2024 to stay even without documents.
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Allegations of Deaths and Irregularities
A particularly serious aspect of the Mamata Banerjee SIR protest involved allegations about the human cost of the revision process. “Several booth level officers have died. A BLO left a suicide note blaming the SIR. 36 people have died out of fear,” Banerjee claimed, though these figures could not be independently verified.
She also alleged that artificial intelligence was being used for fraudulent purposes. “They have created AI. If Mamata Banerjee’s name is deleted from the list then it will be replaced by another Mamata Banerjee. This is the BJP’s new plan,” she said.
Helicopter Denial Controversy
The Mamata Banerjee SIR protest was preceded by another controversy when the chief minister alleged that she was denied permission to fly by helicopter to the venue. “I was supposed to be here at 12:30 pm but I was informed that the helicopter cannot fly. The elections have not started yet but confrontation has begun,” she stated.
However, senior government officials contradicted this claim, saying the helicopter assigned for the trip had an expired license and the operator was issued a show-cause notice. Banerjee had to travel 104 kilometers by road instead.
BJP’s Counter-Response
Bengal BJP unit president Samik Bhattacharya dismissed the Mamata Banerjee SIR protest, stating: “Mamata Banerjee has been tried, tested and rejected by the people. She knows her defeat is imminent. She may try to mislead a section of people but cannot hoodwink the entire population.”
He added that regarding infiltrators from Bangladesh, the BJP’s stand is clear: “They will be detected and their names will be deleted from the electoral roll before they are deported.”
Political Stakes and Future Implications
The Mamata Banerjee SIR protest represents a critical moment in West Bengal politics as the state heads toward 2026 assembly elections. With both BJP and Trinamool Congress mobilizing their bases around the electoral roll revision issue, the coming months promise intense political confrontation that could reshape the state’s political landscape.
