West Bengal Chief Minister Rejects Detention Camps Amid Electoral Roll Revision

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has declared that her state government will not establish detention camps, emphasizing her commitment to constitutional governance and secular politics during ongoing electoral roll revisions.

The Trinamool Congress leader made these statements on Tuesday while addressing concerns over the special intensive revision of electoral rolls currently underway across 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal.

Constitutional Governance Affirmed

Banerjee stressed that she follows the Constitution and practices secular politics, rejecting any notion of establishing detention facilities within her state's jurisdiction. The chief minister expressed concern that the public should not face distress due to the electoral roll revision process.

She criticized the Union government's approach to state officers, stating that instructions should be directed to the state government rather than issued directly to officers "like the British." Banerjee emphasized the need to protect state officers from external pressures.

Electoral Roll Revision Process

The revision exercise began on November 4, with booth-level officers distributing enumeration forms across participating states. This process occurs ahead of expected Assembly elections in West Bengal during the first half of 2026.

Banerjee has consistently maintained that the Union government's actual intention behind this revision is to implement a National Register of Citizens, designed to identify undocumented immigrants and create a comprehensive list of Indian citizens.

Assam Precedent and Concerns

The National Register of Citizens was previously updated in Assam in 2019 following extensive scrutiny of ancestral documents. This exercise excluded 1.9 million residents from the final list, with those deemed foreigners transferred to detention centers. However, the updated register remains unnotified six years later.

Compensation Announced

The West Bengal government announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for families of 39 individuals, including booth-level officers, whose deaths have been linked to stress from the voter roll revision exercise. Additionally, Rs 1 lakh compensation was announced for those injured or hospitalized.

Banerjee reported that 13 persons remain hospitalized and three suicide attempt survivors are receiving treatment. Nationally, at least eight suicides by booth-level officers and two stroke-related deaths have been reported during this revision process.

Implementation Timeline

The submission deadline for forms has been extended to December 11 from December 4. Draft electoral rolls will be published on December 16, with final rolls scheduled for February 14. In Bihar, where the revision was completed before November Assembly polls, 4.7 million voters were excluded from the final electoral roll.

The exercise has generated significant concern in West Bengal, where exclusion from voter rolls is perceived as a potential step toward citizenship loss, creating widespread anxiety among residents.