Bengal guv backs SIR as cleanup measure, TMC MP accuses Bose of allowing arms inside Raj Bhavan

Kolkata, Nov 15 (PTI) West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Saturday defended the SIR of electoral rolls as essential to "clean up the election process", drawing a counterattack from Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, who accused him of "sheltering BJP criminals" inside Raj Bhavan and "arming them with bombs and guns".

Bose said the process was designed to remove discrepancies and restore public confidence in the electoral system and that the Bihar elections demonstrated broad public acceptance of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) mechanism.

"If people are confused, we should convince them that SIR is a new process which is required to clean up the election process and to ensure that free and fair elections take place," Bose told reporters here.

"Bihar has proved it. I am sure the people of Bengal will also accept it," he added.

Arguing that the revision drive was part of a broader effort to strengthen electoral credibility, Bose said violence and corruption must be eliminated ahead of the next polls.

"Before the election, certainly, violence has to be curbed. Corruption has to go from the election process," Bose said, adding that adding that West Bengal could regain its "original glory" only if these "cankers" were rooted out immediately.

"This state will get back its original glory only if the cankers, that is corruption and violence, are rooted out, and it should be rooted out immediately," he said.

"Otherwise, we cannot have a free and fair election in this state. And that is why the Election Commission is taking all steps to see that the election is conducted in this state in a free and fair manner," Bose said.

The governor also reiterated that the democratic process must be protected from intimidation and force.

"In West Bengal, elections should be based on ballot, not bullet. That is a transition which is required urgently in the state," he said.

Any type of violence, whatever be the reason, is to be curbed with an iron hand. That is what is required in Bengal today, Bose added.

Reacting to the Governor's views, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee launched a sharp attack on Bose, alleging that the Raj Bhavan was being used to shelter "BJP offenders." "First, tell the governor first not to shelter BJP's criminals in Raj Bhavan," Banerjee told reporters.

"He (Bose) is keeping offenders there, giving them guns and bombs, and telling them to attack Trinamool workers. Let him stop this first," Banerjee alleged.

Escalating his criticism, the TMC MP said, "He is an incompetent governor. As long as this BJP-servant governor remains, nothing good will happen in West Bengal." Hours after Banerjee's allegations, the governor’s office issued a sharp rebuttal and invited him, along with civil society members and journalists, to inspect the premises.

In an official statement, the Raj Bhavan said its gates would be opened on Sunday from 5 am for Banerjee and "up to 100 members of civil society and the media" to verify whether any arms were stored on the premises as alleged.

"If it is not correct, the MP has the decent option to apologise to the people of Bengal and face prosecution for hate speech. I am confident that the people, my brothers and sisters of Bengal, will protect me," Bose told PTI.

Raj Bhavan added that since Kolkata Police is responsible for guarding the premises and an immediate inquiry should be conducted into how arms could allegedly enter such a high-security zone.

It said any such breach would endanger the governor, who is under Z-plus category protection, as well as Raj Bhavan staff.

The statement also noted that the governor’s security team had advised him to move to a safe location until the inquiry into the alleged presence of illegal arms was completed.

However, the Governor declined to leave. “I will be in Raj Bhavan, come what may,” he was quoted as saying.

"Raj Bhavan will request the Lok Sabha Speaker to conduct an inquiry into the matter since grave allegations have been made by an MP," a senior official said. PTI SCH MNB