Abhishek Banerjee Slams PM’s ‘Drama’ Remark, Says Government Must Answer For SIR Deaths

TMC leader and MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday pushed back strongly against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s allegation that the opposition was reducing Parliament to a platform for “drama”. Banerjee argued that seeking answers on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and other matters of governance should not be trivialised.

His response followed the Prime Minister’s comments earlier in the day, delivered to the media outside Parliament as the winter session began. Modi had remarked that Parliament “is not a place for drama but for delivery”, characterising the opposition’s behaviour as a “warm-up arena” ahead of elections and even suggesting he could offer them “tips to bring positivity in politics”.

Reacting to this, Banerjee said the opposition had been demanding a structured discussion on the SIR process, which he asserted had already resulted in “around 40 deaths, including BLOs”, due to what he described as serious procedural failures.

“What the opposition is asking for is a debate on SIR. Is that drama? If raising people’s voice is drama, then the people will give them a reply in the next election,” the TMC national general secretary said.

He placed responsibility on the Election Commission for what he termed an “unplanned and glitch-ridden” revision. According to him, BLOs had not received adequate training and lacked the necessary tools to carry out the exercise effectively.

“The EC didn’t train BLOs. It didn’t fix the glitches. The voter roll isn’t updated. Forty people have died due to an unplanned SIR. Where is accountability from the government?” Banerjee asked.

Continuing his criticism, Banerjee accused the BJP of selectively expressing outrage while avoiding responsibility in multiple areas.

“People stood in serpentine queues during demonetisation ten years back. The black money flow has increased. Where is the accountability? Blasts are happening, and terrorists are entering the country. Again, where is the accountability?” he said.

Banerjee maintained that the opposition was adhering to democratic norms by questioning those in power as well as the Election Commission.

“Just because they have won a few states doesn’t mean they are not answerable to the people. The same people will remove them from power,” the Diamond Harbour MP said.

He also referred to concerns surrounding the Pahalgam terror attack, saying the government could not choose which issues merited scrutiny.

“We are raising questions on Pahalgam, on the 40 deaths linked to SIR, and the BJP thinks this is drama? We are not against SIR but against the method and the way it is being executed,” he said.

Reasserting a long-standing allegation, Banerjee claimed that the Union government had withheld significant dues owed to West Bengal. “They have blocked Rs 2 lakh crore of Bengal,” he said.

Underscoring that accountability “cannot be optional in a democracy”, Banerjee stated that the opposition would continue to demand explanations both inside Parliament and beyond it.

With PTI inputs