‘Could have brought lakhs’: CM Mamata Banerjee confronts Delhi Police at Banga Bhawan amid SIR row

KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: "Brother, what are you doing here? I am not here for an agitation. If I did, you wouldn't be able to handle it," CM Mamata Banerjee told Delhi cops as she reached Banga Bhawan at Chanakyapuri on Monday morning. The state guest house, one of the two in Delhi, had been barricaded by police.

In the Capital to meet the chief election commissioner along with families of SIR victims, the CM accused the cops of "searching and threatening" the affected families who have been put up at the state's Hailey Road and Chanakyapuri guest houses. The cops left the two spots soon after Banerjee's pushback.


"Amit Shah gets a red carpet in Bengal, but when I come here, I get black carpet. If no one else fights, I will," she told reporters, adding that Delhi had become "a zamindari", with no place for the poor.

Banerjee's "overreaction" charge against Delhi Police reverberated in Parliament as well, with Trinamool MPs storming the well of Lok Sabha, raising slogans against the Union govt. Samajwadi Party members also joined the protest. In Rajya Sabha, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose raised the issue.

In the evening, it was decided that a 25-member Bengal Police team will be dispatched immediately to the Capital to guard the 100-odd SIR victims. The team, led by a deputy SP and an inspector and including a RAF unit, was scheduled to take a 1.40 am flight to Delhi.

Could have brought lakhs of people with me: Didi in Delhi
On Monday morning, as news broke that Delhi cops had put up barricades near the two guest houses, TMC MPs reached the spots. They were joined by CM Banerjee and national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. The Bengal CM said, "As many as 150 people have died (during the Bengal SIR)... some of their relatives are here. Why can't they speak with the media? Wherever these people have been put up, they (Union govt) have sent cops. When there are explosions in Delhi, what does Delhi Police do?"

She then added: "I won't really blame the cops. I will blame the one who is on top. It is his Himalayan incompetence. He cannot provide security to the country." Then addressing the cops directly, Banerjee said, "Those who work with Delhi Police also have families. They are here on orders. When I come, they (BJP) get scared."

Addressing the media, the CM said, "Look! Busloads of cops have come. People are being tortured, harassed. Police are searching the rooms. Why will they (SIR-affected families) not come? Are they not Indian citizens?"

While she was speaking to the media, a cop tried to say, "Hum suraksha ke liye...(We are here for security)". But Banerjee cut him off, saying: "What security are you speaking of? You are coming to Banga Bhawan, which belongs to us, to threaten our people."

Banerjee added, "I could have brought lakhs of people with me. This is only a symbolic protest, with only 50 here whose kin are alive but have been shown dead (in SIR) and 50 more who have lost family members because of SIR. Even all of them won't go to the EC headquarters. Is it fair to hunt them down?"

Delhi Police denied entering Banga Bhawan or imposing any restriction. Cops claimed they got information that "150-200 supporters of a political party" were staying in the guest houses and senior leaders would visit them. "Accordingly, adequate deployment was made," police said.