West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday raised serious concerns after repeated microphone failures interrupted her speech at a party meeting in Kolkata. The incident happened while she was addressing booth-level agents (BLAs) of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. The technical problem briefly stopped her speech and visibly angered the chief minister.
As the microphone stopped working, Mamata Banerjee questioned whether the issue was accidental or part of a deliberate attempt to disrupt the event. She openly expressed suspicion and warned that strict action would be taken if negligence or foul play was found.
The meeting, which began on time and was attended by several party workers, resumed within a few minutes after the issue was fixed.
During the interruption, Mamata Banerjee reacted sharply and questioned the arrangements made for the event. She asked why such technical problems keep occurring at the stadium and who was responsible for ensuring smooth functioning. She also questioned the role of the police and party workers in managing the event.
“Why don’t the microphones work here? This is your responsibility. Why isn’t the police keeping a watch? Why aren’t party workers helping? Is this sabotage? Why does this happen every day?” she said, according to PTI. She further warned that she would take action this time, making it clear that repeated failures would not be tolerated.
Those present at the venue said the chief minister appeared visibly upset as the disruption interrupted her address. However, the technical team quickly fixed the issue, and the meeting continued shortly after.
Such incidents have occurred in the past as well, and Mamata Banerjee has earlier expressed frustration over disruptions during public events. On Monday, her remarks once again highlighted concerns over security, management, and possible interference at political gatherings.
Despite the interruption, the chief minister continued her address and went on to speak about several political and administrative issues, including her criticism of the Election Commission of India (EC) and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
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While addressing the booth-level agents, Mamata Banerjee strongly criticised the Election Commission and alleged that it was acting under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She claimed that the voter list revision process in West Bengal was filled with serious mistakes and unfair practices.
According to her, there were “gross errors” in the draft electoral rolls published after the enumeration phase of the SIR exercise. She alleged that thousands of genuine voters have found their names missing from the updated lists.
“We don’t understand how so many legitimate voters can be removed and how these problems can be solved in such a short time,” she said. The chief minister expressed concern that ordinary citizens were being harassed over minor issues, such as small spelling mistakes in names.
She accused the Election Commission of appointing observers in the state without informing the West Bengal government. According to her, this was a violation of established procedures and raised questions about transparency and fairness.
Mamata Banerjee further alleged that the Election Commission was working only on the directions of the BJP. She claimed that what should have been a routine administrative exercise had been turned into a tool to intimidate voters.
“Minor spelling mistakes are now being weaponised to harass citizens,” she said, adding that innocent people were being troubled unnecessarily during the verification process.
In one of her strongest allegations, Mamata Banerjee claimed that the voter list exercise had already led to severe consequences. She alleged that 46 lives had been lost, linking the deaths to stress, fear, and harassment caused by the SIR process. She described the situation as “political persecution.”
The chief minister accused the BJP of trying to capture power in Bengal by spreading fear among voters. She said that instead of focusing on development and democratic processes, the opposition party was using institutions to pressure common people.
“This is political persecution. The BJP is desperate to capture Bengal and has chosen the path of fear and harassment,” she said.
The meeting was aimed at preparing booth-level agents for upcoming political challenges and strengthening the party’s organisational structure. Mamata Banerjee urged party workers to remain alert, protect voters’ rights, and help citizens whose names have been removed or wrongly recorded in the voter lists.
Despite the initial disruption caused by the microphone failure, the meeting concluded with a strong political message from the chief minister. Her remarks signalled increasing tension between the West Bengal government and central institutions, as well as rising political temperatures ahead of future elections.
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