Political Clash Escalates In Bengal As BJP Says Mamata Fears Losing Power Over SIR Process

The political battle in West Bengal has intensified over the ongoing SIR (Status Identification Review) process, with the BJP launching a strong counterattack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. According to the BJP, Mamata Banerjee is deliberately creating chaos because she fears losing power once illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators are identified and removed. The party accused her of making personal attacks on officials involved in the process and blocking administrative work for political gain. BJP leaders claim that Mamata’s objections are rooted in vote-bank politics, alleging that her concerns are directed solely toward Bangladeshi immigrants. They also said that she halted the remuneration approval for a data entry operator sanctioned by the Election Commission, questioning why such basic administrative work was being obstructed. The BJP added that delaying the SIR process could also delay elections, triggering constitutional complications that Mamata is intentionally trying to exploit. Meanwhile, the SIR process has led to a significant number of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals returning to Bangladesh voluntarily. Many of them had been living in West Bengal for years using forged documents supplied by local agents. Fear of being identified during SIR has pushed them to cross back through checkpoints such as Hakimpur in North 24 Parganas, where authorities confirmed that none of them possessed valid Indian documents.