Mamata in Supreme Court: A Big Game Exposed
Feb 05, 2026 - By Ashutosh Roy Current AffairsPolitics
Key Highlights
- Mamata Banerjee personally argued her case in the Supreme Court, creating strong political optics.
- She claimed that the Election Commission is misusing the SIR process mainly to delete voter names.
- She claimed that the ECI is targeting only West Bengal, but the fact of life remains higher exclusions in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
- Mamata Alleged that micro-observers from BJP-ruled states are deleting names from offices.
- Mamata argued that SIR is a time-taken process and unnecessary rush into two months is causing public harassment.
- Critics countered that digital systems and artificial intelligence naturally reduce time.
- Questions emerged over the role of high-profile lawyers despite Mamata arguing herself.
- The absence of opposition and INDIA Alliance leaders beside her drew attention.
- The episode highlighted a sharp contrast between rights-based rhetoric and ground realities.
Why Mamata in Supreme Court herself?
Mamata in Supreme Court may sound to be headline grabbing, but why herself? Mamata Banerjee argued her case in the Supreme Court. While doing so, she kept the promise she made while standing at Gangasagar.
Let us take a quick look at what Mamata Banerjee argued.
When Mamata Banerjee raised About Aadhaar Card issue, the CJI has coolly explained that the issue is still pending.
The CJI reminded Mamata Banerjee that she had appointed one of the best lawyers in the Supreme Court. Through this remark, he may have wanted to stop her from arguing—something no decent judge can say openly.
However, Mamata could not control her emotions. As a result, she continued to speak.
Meanwhile, she had already achieved her main objective.
She wanted to send a clear message to voters in West Bengal: she can stand and fight for them even in the Supreme Court.
Therefore, in terms of political optics, Mamata in Supreme Court was completely successful.
Mamata in Supreme Court for People’s Rights
First, she made it clear that she did not come for any political party. Instead, she came to protect people’s rights. She alleged that the ECI is misusing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. According to her, they are using it effectively only to delete names.
She has also alleged that the Election Commission has become WhatsApp Commission. Did Mamata Banerjee try to use the Court as a political platform?
Flaws of the SIR Process
Moreover, she pointed out serious flaws in the process. After marriage, many women use their in-laws’ surnames. However, the system flags these cases as “mismatches”.
Even more concerning, she claimed that officials have wrongly declared many living people dead. As a result, they removed their names from the list. The very old allegation which Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee have been constantly harping upon.
Overall, Mamata Banerjee questioned the fairness and intent of the SIR process, highlighting how it may harm genuine citizens rather than protect democracy.
The process targets only West Bengal. She claimed there are special steps against West Bengal. What perhaps she could not tell to maintain the dignity of the court that this is BJP’s Conspiracy.
After 24 years, authorities are suddenly pushing the work into just three months This raises a serious question, why now? Moreover, this period coincides with the harvest season. As a result, many people are outside their homes and unable to participate properly.
What she didn’t tell that there are lakhs of migrant workers, who are not staying in Bengal as Bengal could not provide them the way to earn their bread and butter.
The situation has also turned tragic. More than 100 people have died, and many BLOs have fallen ill.
Micro-observers and ERO Conflict
At the same time, the Election Commission stripped EROs of their powers. Meanwhile, 8,300 micro-observers from BJP-ruled states are allegedly deleting names while sitting inside offices.
The Election Commission has defended that the state didn’t provide adequate officers. Did Mamata Banerjee forget that their primary motive was to non-cooperate with the Election Commission?
However, Honourable Supreme Court has already ordered the West Bengal Government to allocate adequate Bengali speaking officers to the Election Commission by Monday.
In addition, officials are blocking the submission of Form-6. Overall, the voice of justice appears to be silently suffering, raising deep concerns about fairness and accountability.
Is SIR for exclusion of name from Voter List?
The SIR process is effectively being used only to delete names.
After marriage, when women move to their in-laws’ homes, officials strike off their names. Similarly, when poor families change their residence, officials strike off their names. As a result, the ECI has deliberately targeted West Bengal.
Moreover, work that usually takes two years is being forced into just two months. Because of this rush, ordinary people are facing severe harassment.
In conclusion, Mamata Banerjee said she is not speaking for any political party.
Instead, she is speaking to protect the rights of the people. Nobody should laugh!
Mamata in Supreme Court: Again on 9th February
The court has scheduled the next hearing for Monday, February 9.
By now, everyone is aware of the legal battle. The court’s observations are also well known. Therefore, instead of repeating the legal arguments, let us look at the issue from a different angle.
However, any interested person may Check the status in the Supreme Court Website vide Case No: W.P.(C) No. 000129 / 2026 Registered on 30-01-2026, Diary Number: 5710/2026,
A Few Questions to Mamata Banerjee
Mamata Banerjee went to court and said she was there to protect people’s rights. However, this raises an important question.
Does the Human Rights Commission in Kolkata still function? If it does, what powers does it actually have?
Let us set aside human rights for a moment. There are minority commissions and women’s commissions as well. But has anyone ever noticed any meaningful work done by these bodies?
She also repeated a long-standing allegation that many living people have been declared dead and removed from the list. This is not a new claim.
The claim that only West Bengal has been targeted is quite old. However, it is largely untrue. In fact, the number of deleted names is higher in states like Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Therefore, portraying West Bengal as the sole victim does not fully match the available data.
The claim that 8,300 micro-observers from BJP-ruled states are deleting names while sitting inside offices needs closer attention.
Has Mamata got the list of the residences of Micro-Observers?
This effectively suggests that the task Mamata Banerjee had earlier assigned to her party workers/ BLOs for collecting the home addresses of micro-observers. Perhaps they have already completed that successfully!
In other words, the groundwork she asked for appears to be done.
Moreover, it is being implied that all these micro-observers are from outside the state. While this may sound surprising, it is not entirely impossible.
Therefore, this argument opens up a different political interpretation rather than proving administrative wrongdoing outright.
Time Frame of 2002 and 2026
Mamata Banerjee argued in court that work which normally takes two years is being forced into just two months, causing public harassment.
However, she may have overlooked one key point.
The year 2002 is not the same as 2026. Back then, most records were handwritten. Today, the process is driven by digital systems and artificial intelligence. Therefore, it is only natural that the same work now takes much less time.
The voice of justice is silently weeping
Mamata In Supreme Court claimed that “The voice of justice is silently weeping”.
Rabindranath Tagore must surely be shedding tears in heaven.
- More than 1 crore voter could not exercise their voting rights in 2018 election.
- But in reality, the ones crying here are different. Abhaya’s parents are grieving.
- So is Tamannā’s mother.
- Chandan Das’s mother and wife are also living with unbearable pain.
- Meanwhile, the brother of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar is surely struggling to control his anger while witnessing this irony.
Therefore, beyond poetic expressions, real justice is measured by the suffering of real people, and their tears are very much real and present.
So, the move can create a spectacle but ultimately West Bengal remains in doubt about their well being before 2026 assembly election.
Summary of Mamata’s Delhi Visit
The Chief Minister arguing a case in the Supreme Court is, in itself, a strong piece of political optics. Therefore, her Delhi visit during this pleasant winter did not go in vain. Mainly Mamata in Supreme Court has earned political mileage on the eve of Bengal Assembly election 2026.
However, I cannot finish without asking two simple questions.
- First, if the Chief Minister herself is arguing in the Supreme Court, then why spend such huge sums on lawyers like Kapil Sibal or Abhishek Manu Singhvi?
- Second, why is no opposition leader or any INDIA Alliance leader standing beside her?
Ironically, the Chief Minister of the state where people’s rights are arguably violated the most is now arguing in the Supreme Court for people’s rights. Nevertheless, as a political spectacle, it certainly makes for an interesting sight.