Kolkata, February 18 – Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee shared WhatsApp chats on Wednesday, allegedly showing the Election Commission of India's ("ECI") "complete disregard" for the Supreme Court's orders.
In a post on his X handle, Banerjee shared purported WhatsApp chats of IAS officer C. Murugan, the special electoral roll observer (SERO) appointed for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of West Bengal's electoral rolls, issuing directions to other officials.
"Does @ECISVEEP believe that the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court can be openly DISREGARDED? The highest court in the land has repeatedly emphasized transparency, due process, and adherence to official communication channels. Yet, we are witnessing instructions being circulated via WhatsApp rather than through formal, traceable, and accountable mechanisms," he said.
Banerjee also criticized the use of WhatsApp as a channel for issuing official instructions to officers involved in the SIR duty.
"Even more concerning are credible reports that Special Roll Observer, C. Murugan, is issuing instructions regarding the acceptability of birth certificates directly to Micro Observers in a WhatsApp group, in order to inflate deletion numbers. Must I remind the ECI of the Supreme Court's categorical directive that the role of micro-observers must remain strictly supportive? Why, then, is the statutory procedure being bypassed, and under whose instructions?" he asked.
The Trinamool Congress MP also criticized the ECI for misusing login data to target people belonging to a specific community.
"Furthermore, Roll Observers are designated district-wise, yet it is seen that login credentials linked to these observers are being accessed from a central location in Kolkata. Login data is being misused to generate queries and specifically target a certain community under the direction of the ECI's political masters in Delhi. If this matter is independently examined, it will be established that the location and IP address of the login device differ from the actual location of the concerned roll observer," he claimed.
Banerjee further stated that they would raise the matter in court. "The Election Commission derives its legitimacy from PUBLIC TRUST, not POLITICAL PATRONAGE. We will pursue this matter before the highest court of law. Furthermore, any person aligning themselves with or acting at the behest of Zamindars of Delhi will face stringent and uncompromising legal action. Be prepared!" he said.