Kolkata, 28 December (IANS). Trinamool Congress All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday held a special virtual meeting with the party’s booth level agents (BLA-2), block, town and ward level voter list observers, in which he directed them to stand by those called for hearing under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
During the meeting, Banerjee described the situation as “war time” and urged party workers not to give any concessions to the BJP.
The Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha leader directed that the presence of BLA-2 is mandatory in every SIR hearing. He warned that if any party worker is stopped from entering the hearing centre, the party will take immediate legal action.
He said that our fight will continue through legal means also. If the Prime Minister can use technology to reach out to people, why can’t the Election Commission use technology to streamline the hearing process for migrant workers?
Saturday was the first day of the second phase of SIR hearing, leading to a controversy over summoning of elderly and vulnerable voters.
A 90-year-old man was seen standing in a queue amid the harsh cold at the hearing center located at Chetla Girls School in Kolkata.
Despite the Election Commission’s statement that voters above 85 years of age would not be called, on the very first day, many people above 80 and 90 years of age were seen standing in queues.
In West Midnapore, a pregnant woman was seen waiting in the queue for a hearing on the same day she was admitted to the hospital.
Banerjee alleged that people were being continuously harassed in the state and said the Trinamool Congress would set up assistance camps near the SIR hearing centers to assist the affected voters. He said that party leaders and workers will help the needy from these camps.
Earlier, the state administration had set up ‘Can We Help You’ camps to assist the public in documentation related problems, including birth and death certificates.
–IANS
MS/DKP
