West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a fierce attack on the Election Commission and BJP leaders during a rally in Thakurnagar, North 24 Paraganas, accusing them of using the SIR (Special Summary Revision) process to harass citizens and spread fear ahead of the polls. Addressing a massive gathering in the heartland of the Matua community, Banerjee alleged that the EC was acting “under political pressure” and that the SIR exercise had become a tool of intimidation rather than voter verification.
Banerjee repeatedly questioned why the Commission was “pushing an impractical revision drive in such a short time”, insisting that ground-level workers, especially BLOs, were being forced to work under severe pressure without adequate logistical support. “This SIR is being used to threaten people, to scare them about their citizenship. Bengal will not tolerate this,” she said, adding “BLOs have died by suicide blaming the election commission”
In a significant political escalation, the Chief Minister displayed documents she described as “Hindu certificates” being distributed by BJP MP Santanu Thakur and his brother, BJP MLA Subrata Thakur. Holding up photocopies before the crowd, Banerjee alleged that each certificate was being issued in exchange for Rs 100, misleading people into believing it would help secure citizenship under CAA. “This is a scam. A big scam. Hindus are being fooled and looted. These certificates have no legal value,” she declared.
Banerjee accused the BJP of exploiting the anxieties of the Matua community for electoral gain. She clarified that no certificate issued by an individual or party - including those declaring someone a “Hindu migrant” - could substitute legal citizenship documentation. “People must know the truth. Citizenship is not sold for 100 rupees. Don’t fall into this trap,” she warned.
Independent investigations by News The Truth had already brought many of these details to light. In a ground report published earlier, News The Truth documented how hundreds of Matua residents - many elderly or unable to read English - were handed “Hindu certificates” that bizarrely identified the recipients as “Bangladeshi Hindus”, regardless of their actual documents. The investigation recorded testimonies of people who possessed Indian birth certificates, Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, even passports, yet were persuaded to accept these certificates under the belief that it would “secure their future”. News The Truth also found that locals were not informed that the certificate itself declared them as Bangladeshi - a detail written in English that most could not read - while being assured that it would strengthen their citizenship status. People would pay Rs 100 for such Hindu certificates issued by All India Matua Mahasangh but signed by either Santanu Thakur or Subrata Thakur
The Chief Minister also launched a sharp personal attack on Union Minister Santanu Thakur, claiming she was aware of why he had recently travelled to London. Without naming agencies, she hinted at financial irregularities, suggesting that the trip could be linked to “parking ill-gotten money abroad”. “We have the evidence. Action will be taken at the right time,” she asserted, drawing loud reactions from the audience.
Banerjee assured the Matua community - a politically influential bloc - that their rights, citizenship status, and security would be safeguarded under her government. She reiterated that every Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, or Adivasi living in Bengal had equal rights and nothing to fear. Ending her speech with a call for unity, Banerjee urged people not to be “misled by propaganda, fake certificates, or intimidation”. “Bengal believes in humanity, not division,” she said, reaffirming her opposition to what she termed the BJP’s “politics of fear”.
