Bengal Governor Backs SIR as Raj Bhavan Opens Gates After TMC MP Alleges Arms

Overview

• Governor C V Ananda Bose defended the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls as a cleanup measure to ensure free and fair polls, citing acceptance in Bihar.
• He called for elections to be based on the ballot rather than violence and said corruption and intimidation must be removed from the process.
• TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee alleged the governor was sheltering BJP-linked offenders inside Raj Bhavan and arming them to attack Trinamool workers, a claim that is disputed.
• Raj Bhavan issued a formal rebuttal and invited Banerjee with up to 100 members of civil society and the media to inspect the premises to check for weapons.
• The governor’s office said Kolkata Police guards the high-security compound, will ask the Lok Sabha Speaker to order an inquiry, warned of possible action if the claim is false, and noted Bose declined security advice to relocate.