Assam Govt Avoiding SIR to Cover Up NRC Mess, Says TMC MP Sushmita Dev

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and MP Sushmita Dev launched a sharp attack on the BJP government in Assam, accusing it of avoiding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state out of fear. She claimed that the SIR is nothing more than a “new version” of the NRC and said the ruling party doesn’t want to face questions from the people after its earlier failure.

Speaking to reporters, Dev said that the BJP’s double standards are clear when it comes to the SIR exercise. “The SIR is exactly like the NRC that opposition leaders such as Tejashwi Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, and Mallikarjun Kharge have been warning about. If it isn’t, then why is the BJP avoiding it in Assam? From 2013 to 2019, more than 3 crore people submitted their papers for the NRC, yet nothing came of it. If the SIR happens here, the BJP will have to answer what went wrong,” she said.

The TMC MP accused the Assam BJP of trying to avoid embarrassment after what she called a “failed NRC experiment.” “They know people will ask tough questions. That’s why they are afraid of starting the SIR in Assam,” she said.

Dev also questioned why the BJP, which holds power at both the Centre and in Assam, couldn’t complete the NRC if it was really meant to identify foreigners. “If you truly have the power, Mr Amit Shah and Mr Himanta Biswa Sarma, then complete the NRC first. Don’t fool Hindus with false claims about demography. You keep talking about it only to mislead voters,” she added.

Her comments come at a time when the Election Commission has announced the second phase of the SIR across several states, with the final voter list set to be released in February 2026.

Turning her focus to the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Dev accused him of using eviction drives to mislead the public. “He says he’s improving the demography of Assam, but what he’s really doing is demolishing poor people’s homes without checking their documents. When these people move elsewhere, what exactly changes in demography? This is just another election gimmick,” she said.

On the issue of singer Zubeen Garg’s death, Dev said that people in Assam have lost trust in the BJP government. “The people of Assam loved Zubeen Garg. They no longer believe in the BJP, especially the Chief Minister. Once the SIT report is released, the truth will come out. If there’s anything wrong with the charge sheet, the Chief Minister should resign,” she said.

Also Read: 'NRC First, Then SIR': ECI Confirms Assam's Exclusion From Nationwide Exercise