Kolkata, March 9 TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resign if he is serious about promoting politicians with "clean images."
Speaking at a sit-in protest against the alleged large-scale deletion of names in the SIR by the Election Commission, Banerjee said Shah’s call for a "clean and untainted regime" was hypocritical, citing his two-month imprisonment in Sabarmati jail.
In 2010, Shah, then-Gujarat minister of state for home, was arrested by the CBI and lodged in Sabarmati Central Jail in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.
He was accused of being the "kingpin" in the conspiracy, spending over two months in jail before being granted bail, and was later cleared of all charges in 2014-2015.
Shah consistently maintained that the charges were "fabricated and politically motivated" by the then Congress-led central government.
"I dare him to resign first before he talks about transparency and a clean image in politics. When he attends rallies in West Bengal, he is surrounded by tainted leaders on both sides. I ask him to set the example," he said.
He alleged that while the BJP has deployed agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and CBI against TMC leaders on unproven graft charges, Bengal's ruling party had acted against those accused under probe by debarring them from political activity and ministerial positions.
"BJP has never taken a single step against its functionaries whose guilt was proven in court," he claimed.
Banerjee also criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, claiming he had threatened the Bengal administration with transfers and bringing police officials from other states.
He urged the CEC to reconsider actions affecting the electoral rights of citizens, particularly those placed under 'logical discrepancy' category in the SIR.
Of the lakhs affected, Banerjee said 80 per cent were previously mapped cases, with voters or their parents having participated in the 2002 polls.
"How can you conspire to take away their rights? Under which law of the Constitution?" he asked.
He asked the gathering to raise their voice in such a way that "the roar reaches the visiting CEC and his full bench, who are responsible for the deaths of over 200 Bengalis due to SIR."