Abhishek Banerjee's Explosive Remark: “We Lost Bengal to the Supreme Court of India, Not to the BJP”

Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee has launched a sharp attack on the Supreme Court of India, the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP, alleging that the electoral process in West Bengal was marked by serious irregularities and violations of judicial directives.

Addressing the issue, Banerjee made a strong political statement, declaring, “We lost Bengal to the Supreme Court of India, not to the BJP.” He alleged that despite the Supreme Court issuing specific guidelines regarding the electoral process, the authorities concerned failed to implement them.

Banerjee challenged the government and the Election Commission to initiate suo motu proceedings against him over his allegations. He said he would personally represent himself before the Supreme Court and contest the matter. He also demanded that the proceedings be broadcast live so that the people of the country could witness the developments.

Questions Supreme Court Directives and Counting Process

Raising questions about the counting arrangements, the TMC leader alleged that the Supreme Court's directives concerning the randomisation protocol were not properly followed. According to Banerjee, the counting was scheduled for the 4th, while the Supreme Court issued directions on the 2nd regarding the implementation of the randomisation procedure.

He claimed that the protocol required the participation of both state and central government officials, but alleged that no state government official was involved in the counting process.

Banerjee further accused the authorities of electoral fraud and criticised the judiciary for allegedly failing to take cognisance of developments involving electronic voting machines (EVMs), including claims that EVMs had been set on fire.

Raises Concerns Over Sumit Roy Case and Alleged Encounter Threat

In another serious allegation, Banerjee referred to the arrest of Sumit Roy and claimed that a person who contested against him in the election had posted a photograph of Roy on Facebook, accompanied by a demand for his killing in a staged encounter.

He alleged that the social media post remained accessible and questioned how such threats could surface in a case connected with Roy's arrest. Banerjee questioned the functioning of the judiciary and raised concerns over constitutional safeguards and the law-and-order situation in West Bengal.

He also alleged that certain judicial officers were operating under pressure due to the possibility of transfer orders, while expressing that he still retained some faith in the judiciary.

Invokes Gandhi and Constitution in Attack on BJP

Questioning the state of democracy and constitutional institutions, Banerjee asked whether the country was moving in the direction envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi. He accused the BJP of damaging the country's democratic institutions and described the situation in West Bengal as that of a police state.

Repeating his criticism of the Supreme Court's handling of the electoral process, Banerjee maintained that the authorities had failed to ensure compliance with the court's own directions.

His remarks have brought the conduct of the electoral process, judicial oversight, EVM-related allegations and the functioning of constitutional institutions into the centre of the political debate.