Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday accused the BJP of using central agencies, including the Election Commission (EC) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), as “stooges” to target opposition leaders.
Speaking to reporters at the airport in Kolkata after returning from Delhi, the Diamond Harbour MP alleged that leaders of the ruling party at the Centre have become “spokespersons” of the EC, eroding the panel’s independence.
He targeted BJP leader Anurag Thakur, accusing him of making false claims about bogus voters in his constituency. Banerjee said he had given Thakur proof showing all voters were genuine, except for a few who had either died or shifted homes.
“Why are BJP leaders like Anurag Thakur speaking in favour of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise on behalf of the EC? We are not afraid to face the electorate, unlike the BJP, which seeks to win by fraudulent means in collusion with the EC,” Banerjee said.
Opposition parties, under the INDIA bloc, have already been protesting against the SIR exercise in Bihar, alleging it aims to “disenfranchise” voters ahead of the state assembly elections later this year.
Banerjee further accused the CBI and ED of being misused by the Modi government. “I handed over documents to the ED, and later a BJP leader quoted details from those very papers. How are they getting access to confidential documents? This proves the BJP is the EC, and the BJP is the ED,” he said.
Citing the case of former Delhi minister Satyendra Jain, who has been in jail for three years, Banerjee said the CBI failed to prove charges against him, yet continued to harass opposition leaders without evidence.
He also slammed the EC for not acting on opposition complaints of electoral malpractice. Referring to the commission asking Rahul Gandhi to file an affidavit over his “vote fraud” remarks, he said, “The EC has the authority to act suo motu. Why does it need a written affidavit?”
The TMC leader questioned the removal of 65 lakh names from Bihar’s electoral rolls and asked if the Chief Election Commissioner would resign if even one error was proven. “Is this a joke? We will oppose any such move,” he declared.
On the Centre’s refusal to release MGNREGA funds for Bengal despite a Calcutta High Court order, Banerjee alleged the Modi government was deliberately withholding payments.
He also hinted at an impeachment motion against the Chief Election Commissioner, saying, “We may not be able to bring it in this Parliament session since it ends on August 21, but if not now, we will certainly do it in the next session.”
