Voters deleted in SIR anti-nationals, says Dilip in Hindu refugee colony

Kharagpur: All 90.8 lakh people, whose names have been struck off voter list, were "anti-nationals", former state BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said in Kharagpur on Thursday.

BJP's Kharagpur Town candidate Ghosh was campaigning in the Talbagicha area when he remarked: "The final bell is tolling. ‘Pishi-Bhaipo' duo is changing its tune. EC has pumped out all the ‘extra water'. While 90 lakh are gone, another 10-12-15 lakh will follow. It is because of these fake voters that Mamata Banerjee became CM thrice. CPM stayed in office 34 years the same way. These anti-nationals have finally been ousted."


Talbagicha is a predominantly Hindu refugee colony established in the 1950s. Ghosh was canvassing support ahead of Union home minister Amit Shah's road show in Kharagpur. Over 57,000 people have been struck off the list in the constituency that had 2,30,000 voters.

Incidentally, Ghosh's "anti-national" barb came merely 24 hours after he admitted that the names of some genuine voters had indeed been deleted during the SIR process. This admission occurred after he encountered a group of women on the campaign trail who questioned why their names had been knocked off the list.

Reacting to Ghosh's comment, his poll opponent, TMC's Pradeep Sarkar, said: "Dilipbabu's statement reveals the true character of BJP. When SIR process began, Shah said no Hindu names would be excluded — only the names of ‘outsider' Muslims and Rohingya would be removed. Now, it is evident that out of the 90 lakh deleted voters, 57 lakh are Hindus. Dilip Ghosh has effectively called these 57 lakh Hindus traitors, anti-nationals and Rohingya. Hindus will answer this charge in election."

On Friday, Shah led a roadshow in West Midnapore in support of Ghosh. The roadshow saw thousands lining the streets.
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