TMC MP Mamatabala Thakur threatens indefinite fast on SIR issue

Kolkata, Nov 1 (PTI) Trinamool Congress MP Mamatabala Thakur on Saturday threatened an indefinite sit-in from November 5 if the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by the Election Commission is directed against any single member of the Matua community.

People of the Matua community, a Scheduled Caste, had migrated from erstwhile East Pakistan after independence and settled in the border districts of West Bengal in the past several decades.

Thakur said she will sit on a hunger strike before the residence of Matua patriarch Binapani Devi at Sangh headquarters, Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district.

"We invite people from different communities to come and join our protest. SIR is aimed at finishing Matua and other marginalised community members and taking away their voting rights. We will announce our future course of action in the next few days," she told a press meet.

The fast will continue till the EC takes demonstrative action to address the misgivings of Matua community members about not singling out even one Matua member, who holds Indian citizenship, by the name of SIR exercise, she said.

"We have apprehension that names of hundreds of Matuas, who live in North 24 Parganas, Nadia and other districts, will be omitted as the BJP wants to deprive the sizeable Matua community members from voting, though they are all bona fide citizens of the country. We are forced to go back on the path of agitation, finding no other alternative," she said.

Refusing to attach much importance to Mamata Thakur's claims, her political arch-rival, Union minister and relative Santanu Thakur, said, "Mamata Thakur is isolated in the community and her party's support base among the community is dwindling fast.

"The Matua Mahasangh members are with us, and everyone knows SIR is not targeted at Matuas. Their citizenship is guaranteed, and they are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi." He claimed the agitation by Mamatabala Thakur will be a non-starter and that she is resorting to "stunts" for publicity. PTI SUS RG