Democracy in danger, BJP 'drunk with power': NCP

Agencies

September 27, 2019

Mumbai, Sept 27: The country's democracy is in "peril" and will be "extinct", warned NCP leaders on Friday as they slammed the BJP government over the ED case against their chief Sharad Pawar and alleged detention of party workers ahead of his visit to the central agency's office here.

The Congress, an ally of the NCP, has also slammed the Modi government and accused it of targeting Pawar ahead of the next month's assembly polls in Maharashtra.

The NCP patriarch had two days ago announced he will visit the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) office here after a money laundering case filed against him and others in connection with the alleged Maharashtra State Cooperative (MSC) Bank scam.

Police have imposed prohibitory orders outside the agency's office in South Mumbai in view of his visit later in the day.

The leaders alleged party men were being detained ahead of Pawar's visit to the ED office.

Asserting the NCP chief was no way associated with the alleged scam, the party has alleged the ED's press statement that bears Pawar's name in connection with the case was drafted in the ruling BJP's office.

"It seems the press note was issued from the BJP's office. We won't tolerate the machination of maligning the party and its leader ahead of the polls. We are ready to face the situation," NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik told reporters.

Malik charged the BJP-led government with misusing the ED and added Pawar, however, will stick to his plan of visiting its office.

Seconding Malik, another NCP leader Dhananjay Munde accused the BJP of being "inebriated with power" and stifling voices of its political opponents.

"This one (the case against Pawar) is one such decision(of stifling voices)," the Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council said.

Asked about the administration urging party men to maintain law and order, Munde said it the responsibility of the ED and police, too, to ensure the situation remains so.

"But on the other hand, such action has been taken (against Pawar)...The democracy is in peril. It will be extinct in some days if things go on like this," Munde said.

Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil, too, accused the government of muzzling voices of the party workers. He, however, urged party men to ensure no inconvenience is caused to citizens.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government, accusing it of being vindictive and targeting Pawar ahead of the Maharashtra polls.

"Sharad Pawar Ji is the latest Opposition leader to be targeted by a vindictive Government. The timing of this action, a month before elections in Maharashtra, reeks of political opportunism," he said on Twitter.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

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.

Comments