Will attack Narendra Modi-led govt on communal violence: Sonia Gandhi

August 13, 2014

New Delhi, Aug 13: A day after hitting out at Narendra Modi-led government for spurt in incidents of communal violence across the country, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said that he party will attack the government over the issue.

She also reiterated that there has been an increase in sectarian violence since the new government took over.

At the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meet held this morning, Sonia Gandhi also said: "Congress will fight with full might to revive itself”.

Congress must resist divisive and authoritarian politics of the BJP government, added Gandhi ahead of tabling of communal violence bill in Parliament.

The Congress chief further accused Modi government of imitating UPA schemes and following a policy of minimum governance.

During the meet, Sonia Gandhi said: "It is a challenging time. Our numbers have reduced in Lok Sabha but not in Rajya Sabha."

Noting that “narrow political considerations cannot take predominance”, Gandhi told the CPC members to forget internal differences, be together, and work hard to get party back to power.

She also warned that the moment the BJP behaves in a dictatorial way, "we will stand up and fight". "We'll fight divisive and authoritative politics of BJP and bounce back."

Earlier in the day, Congress gave adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha to discuss communal violence bill.

On Tuesday, Sonia Gandhi attacked the Narendra Modi government, saying the communal violence in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra were "created deliberately to divide our society". The government rubbished the charges, and called them "baseless".

Her attack on the Modi government came after her son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi slammed the Centre on the issue.

He held an unprecedented noisy protest and also trooped to the Lok Sabha Speaker's podium on August 06, demanding a debate on rising communal violence in Uttar Pradesh.

In the meantime, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee targeted the BJP without naming it, saying some political parties were trying to cause a communal divide in the state and warned that her party will take strong action against those fomenting riots.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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