West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, urging him to immediately halt the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State, and warned that it could cause "mass disenfranchisement" and "irreparable damage" to India’s democratic foundations.
In a letter to the CEC dated December 3, Ms. Banerjee expressed “grave concern” over alleged irregularities, procedural violations and administrative lapses in the conduct of the SIR in the State, asserting that the process had been undertaken in an “unplanned, ill-prepared and ad hoc manner”.
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“The SIR process is deeply compromised and strikes at the basic structural framework of our democracy and the spirit of the Constitution,” the Chief Minister claimed.
She alleged that the "undue haste" and "lack of adequate groundwork" had resulted in serious defects, including faulty IT systems, inconsistent instructions and inadequate training of officials entrusted with the exercise.
