National: Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev has leveled serious allegations against the BJP-led government, claiming that the Survey of Indian Residents (SIR) is essentially a “kind of NRC” designed to target Bengalis and marginalized communities. Dev asserted that the government’s reluctance to conduct SIR in Assam is evidence that it is indeed a National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise by another name.
Dev questioned the government’s intentions behind the SIR, stating that it would be impossible for the BJP to avoid answering questions about the NRC’s outcome if the exercise is conducted in Assam. “The government did not conduct SIR in Assam, and that itself is the biggest proof that it is indeed NRC,” she said. The TMC MP’s remarks come amid a heated debate over the SIR exercise, with opposition parties alleging that it is a backdoor attempt to revive the NRC process nationwide.
Dev also demanded complete transparency in the ongoing investigation into the death of iconic singer Zubeen Garg. “People have lost trust in the government,” she said, adding that the BJP government should take moral responsibility and step down if any irregularities are found in the chargesheet or SIT report. Dev’s remarks come as the Assam government has constituted a Judicial Commission headed by a sitting judge of the Gauhati High Court to probe the circumstances surrounding Garg’s death.
The TMC MP’s allegations have sparked concerns about the government’s intentions and the potential consequences of the SIR exercise on marginalized communities. Dev has called for opposition unity to defeat the BJP in the upcoming elections, stating that the party’s “divisive politics” must be countered.
