BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari accuses Mamata Banerjee of “Bhasha Andolan drama” to disrupt electoral roll revision

BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Sunday, July 27 lashed out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of orchestrating a "Bhasha Andolan drama" to obstruct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar.

Adhikari claimed Banerjee's recent remarks about the harassment of Bengali-speaking people outside West Bengal were merely a tactic to politicize the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) voter list revision process. “This is a deliberate drama to stop the SIR. Mamata Banerjee is not defending Bengalis, she is protecting her vote bank of infiltrators, Bangladeshis, and Rohingyas,” Adhikari told ANI.

He further alleged that a significant portion of Banerjee’s electoral support comes from illegal immigrants, stating, “She is the protector of Bangladeshi Muslims and a relative of the Rohingyas.”

The comments follow Banerjee’s speech in Kolkata on July 25, where she appealed for a fresh ‘Bhasha Andolan’ (language movement), alleging that Bengali-speaking individuals residing in other states were facing discrimination and exclusion.

Reiterating her concerns at a July 21 public address, Banerjee had openly criticised the ECI, accusing it of arbitrarily removing over 40 lakh voters from Bihar’s electoral rolls. “Now you want to do the same in Bengal? Try it and we will launch a Gherao movement. We will fight, we will change this law. We will not accept it,” she said defiantly.

The Election Commission of India has clarified that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a routine process aimed at ensuring clean and updated voter lists ahead of Bihar's upcoming assembly elections.