On January 21, 2026, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Manirul Islam made strong and threatening statements against the Election Commission of India (ECI), saying the poll body would be “hunted down from the netherworld” and “taught a lesson” as a standoff continues over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Islam’s remarks came during an ongoing dispute between the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government and the ECI over the SIR process, which aims to update and verify voter lists in the state.

The West Bengal MLA has been controversial, with reports that he was accused of leading a group that entered and vandalised the Block Development Office (BDO) in his constituency, injuring officials.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned Islam’s statements. BJP’s national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said on X (formerly Twitter), “Manirul Islam, a sitting TMC MLA, openly threatens the Election Commission of India, saying it will be ‘taught a lesson’ and ‘hunted down from underground.’ Mamata Banerjee as Home Minister is asking her MLA to intimidate officials! TMC protects illegal infiltrators!”

Islam’s threatening comments were made just days after tensions over Form 7 submissions across districts in Bengal. Workers from both the TMC and BJP blocked roads and staged protests during the process of submitting the form, which is part of the SIR exercise.

In response to the protests and unrest, the TMC appealed to people not to be provoked, stressing the need for a legal and peaceful approach. According to the party’s spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, “The anger and frustration is understandable. But the fight has to be fought in courtrooms and on EVMs. CM Mamata Banerjee is fighting for you. Do not fall for provocation.”

Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, accused the TMC of creating “statewide anarchy” to disrupt the SIR process. At Mogra in Hooghly, BJP workers blocked GT Road, demanding the chance to submit Form 7 under the supervision of central security forces.

Amid the controversy, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed officials directly about concerns related to the SIR. She urged district magistrates to ensure voters face no hardship over “logical discrepancies” identified in the voter lists. A senior official said the Chief Minister instructed that all hearings “must be conducted strictly in accordance with the apex court’s directives” and that people should not be inconvenienced under the pretext of such discrepancies.

The Supreme Court had recently ordered the Election Commission to display the names of voters with logical discrepancies at gram panchayat bhavans and block offices, and allowed electors an additional 10 days to submit documents confirming their inclusion in the electoral roll. This move reportedly brought relief to several voters in Kolkata who were called for hearings after discrepancies were found in their records.

In a broader national context, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting these events, criticised parties allegedly protecting illegal immigrants for political reasons. At a party event, Modi stated, “Illegal immigrants pose a great threat to the country’s security. Identifying them and sending them back to their countries is absolutely essential.” He said no country accepts illegal immigrants and warned against them “stealing the rights of our poor and our youth.”

The heated exchange reflects deepening tensions between the West Bengal state government and the central Election Commission over the Ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, which has become a major political issue in the run-up to the state’s upcoming elections.