Suvendu Adhikari Claims INDIA Bloc Has Ended, Targets Mamata's Delhi Visit

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday claimed that the INDIA bloc had ended and alleged that former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to Delhi could involve meetings with people he referred to as "Dimagi Naxals" and those raising "Azadi" slogans.

"INDI alliance ended long ago. What is Mamata Banerjee going to do in Delhi? She is going to plan with the 'Dimagi Naxals' and those who give Azadi slogans. I will tell Delhi to keep a close watch. Do not let any anti-national force meet with her," Adhikari said.

He further alleged that Mamata had Jamaat in one hand and "Dimagi Naxals" in the other.

"Jamaat is now giving the main mantra to the Dimagi Naxals. She has Jamaat in one hand and Dimagi Naxal in the other," he added.

Banerjee is set to attend the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi on Wednesday, where opposition leaders are likely to deliberate on a proposed nationwide protest over allegations of electoral irregularities.

Adhikari accuses Mamata of targeting judiciary over SIR

Amid the ongoing row over the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Adhikari on Sunday said the rejection of 27 lakh entries over logical discrepancies was carried out by the judiciary and not government officials.

Speaking to ANI, he said, "Regarding the SIR in Bengal, the rejection of 27 lakh entries due to logical discrepancies was not done by government officials. Mamata Banerjee and her party went to the Supreme Court; the Supreme Court appointed District Judges, and it was the District Judges who deleted the names. So, she is speaking against the Judiciary."

"In West Bengal, the SIR work, specifically addressing logical discrepancies, was not carried out by government officials but by the judiciary. The Supreme Court invoked Article 142, took the powers away from the ERO (Electoral Registration Officer), and directly empowered the District Judges to delete those names. Challenging the Judiciary is tantamount to challenging Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution," he added.

Election Commission rejects claims of institutional dissent

The political row intensified following an investigative report by The Indian Express, which said Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had raised objections at least 14 times over 10 months regarding decisions and procedures linked to the SIR exercise.

The Election Commission has rejected the suggestion that the reported objections represented institutional dissent, maintaining that decisions related to SIR were taken with the unanimous approval of the Commission.