Calcutta HC to hear petition demanding court-monitored SIR in WB, as Trinamool starts preparations

Amidst allegations of people taking their lives over fears of SIR (Special Intensive Revision) in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Friday (October 31, 2025) admitted a petition demanding a court-monitored SIR.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Smita Das De has admitted the petition, which also sought that the time period for conducting the revision exercise be extended. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on October 27 announced SIR in 12 states including poll bound West Bengal.

Amidst soaring political temperatures, Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday held a virtual meeting with party leadership. In the meeting, Mr. Banerjee directed the party’s booth-level agents (BLAs) to keep “constant watch” on booth-level officers (BLOs) during the SIR.

Mr. Banerjee told party leadership that the next six months are going to be an “acid test” for them and directed that “BLOs should not be left unattended for even a minute”. The Trinamool Congress leader explained that if the BJP was serious about finding infiltrators, as they say they should have carried out SIR in Assam, Meghalaya or Tripura, but the exercise “political operation aimed at deleting genuine voters”.

The Trinamool leader announced that starting November 4, the party would set up 6,200 voter assistance camps across 2,861 municipal wards and 3,345 gram panchayats to help people verify their names, submit claims and objections, and report irregularities.

During his interaction with the party’s rank and file, Mr. Banerjee also referred to the spate of deaths allegedly due to fear of NRC. “One tragic incident after another is coming to light. In Panihati, a person died by suicide out of fear and anxiety, leaving behind a note. Similar incidents occurred in Dinhata and Illambazar.” Mr. Banerjee also referred that on Friday, a 28-year-old woman named Kakoli Sarkar died by suicide in Titagarh due to fear of the NRC. Two days ago, the Trinamool Congress leader visited the residence of Pradip Kar in Panihati and assured people that the name of genuine voters will not be removed from the voter list. 

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that camps which the Trinamool Congress leadership are talking about will be “to tie up BLOs, and the BLAs of the Opposition parties”

“My message to the BLAs of the BJP is — keep yourselves safe, carry out the duties of a BLA. It is the responsibility of the election commission to give protection to BLOs and their appointed BLA of political parties,” Mr. Adhikari said. The BJP leader said that it is the discretion of CEO Manoj Agarwal and CEC Gyanesh Kumar to provide safety and security to BLOs and BLAs either through state police or central forces.

Mr. Adhikari took a dig at the claims of Trinamool Congress that several people have died in West Bengal over fears of SIR, saying that a leopard had died in North Bengal and the TMC leaders should visit the area, claiming that the animal died of NRC fears.