Bengal CM stole limelight, despite me being original petitioner: CPI(M)’s Mostari Banu

Mostari Banu, a woman from Murshidabad who claims to be the original petitioner in the matter involving Special Intensive Revision (SIR) before the Supreme Court, has claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “stole the limelight” by appearing before the apex court on February 4.

Also read: West Bengal SIR hearing in Supreme Court highlights

Ms. Banu, who hails from Bhagwangola in Murshidabad and is associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said that she had filed the petition several weeks ago on the harassment during the ongoing SIR in the State.

“It was in response to my petition that the Supreme Court issued directions on January 19 to the Election Commission of India (ECI), But on February 4, the West Bengal Chief Minister went to the Supreme Court and claimed that she was the original petitioner in the matter,” the woman said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on February 4 appeared in person before the division bench of Chief Justice of India Justice Surjya Kant and raised several issues relating to ongoing SIR including summoning of people for hearing on account of logical discrepancies

On February 5, CPI(M) State secretary Md. Salim held a press conference and lashed out at a section of the media, saying that the woman who had filed the original petition was being ignored by the media. The CPI(M) leader was also accompanied by lawyer Sabyasachi Chatterjee, who is representing Mostari Banu and said that there was no provision under The Representative of The People Act, 1950 to seek data from the people through the enumeration forms.

Ms. Banu said that she had voted in 2002 yet notice was sent to her to appear before the ECI during the ongoing SIR. “We are philosophically against the SIR. Mostari Banu is the real victim of the process and that is why she had approached the Supreme Court,” Mr. Salim said.

Ms. Banerjee’s appearance before the Supreme Court in person has come as a shot in the arm for the Trinamool Congress and the party has claimed it to be a “big win”.