KOLKATA: Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the BJP of using the Election Commission to “hijack” the last Assembly elections and alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was being used to “loot votes” by removing lakhs of names from electoral rolls.Addressing a rally of the TMC students’ wing in Kolkata, Banerjee also accused the BJP of turning the police into a “monstrous entity”, claiming that the force had a humane face during her government.“BJP is playing divisive politics in Bengal and using the police to spread fear among the people,” she alleged.Banerjee said she would soon begin a tour of West Bengal and take to the streets if her public meetings were not allowed.“I will see how many eggs and bricks they have in stock,” she said, referring to alleged attacks on TMC leaders in different parts of the state.She said she did not want to approach the courts for permission every time the administration denied approval for a rally.“Henceforth, we will take the people’s nod for holding meetings at the venues we want,” she added.On the SIR exercise, Banerjee alleged that the BJP had used the Election Commission to “hijack” the previous Assembly elections.“They used the SIR to loot votes by illegally removing lakhs of names from electoral rolls,” she claimed.Banerjee also criticised the Suvendu Adhikari government over eviction drives targeting hawkers.“I have no objection to eviction of hawkers from pavements as long as they are properly rehabilitated. If you can’t rehabilitate, then compensate them with Rs 25,000 per month,” she said.
