Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Dec 23: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of harassing voters during the hearing process following the publication of the draft electoral roll after the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal.
After a meeting with West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the ruling party claimed that voters are being unnecessarily summoned for hearings over minor and technical issues. The Trinamool Congress asserted that such summonses are unwarranted and are causing distress among the electorate.
A five-member Trinamool delegation, comprising state ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya, Shashi Panja and Pulak Roy, along with party MPs Partha Bhowmick and Bapi Halder, met the CEO earlier in the day. Following the meeting, the party addressed a press conference outlining its concerns and demands.
State minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said the party had urged the Election Commission to stop calling voters for hearings over issues such as spelling errors in names or discrepancies between English and Bengali spellings. She maintained that such minor inconsistencies do not justify summoning voters.
The Trinamool Congress also demanded that Aadhaar be included as a valid document in the SIR process, saying its exclusion has led to confusion. Bhattacharya noted that while the ECI is currently recognising only 11 documents, Aadhaar should be listed as the 12th. She pointed out that during a similar exercise in Bihar, the Supreme Court had directed that Aadhaar cards be accepted.
Refuting the argument that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship, Bhattacharya said none of the documents listed by the Election Commission establish citizenship either, adding that the Supreme Court has already clarified that the ECI has no authority to grant citizenship.
The ruling party further demanded that hearings under the SIR be conducted at nearby government offices such as gram panchayat or municipal offices, rather than at distant block or district magistrate offices. According to the party, travelling long distances imposes both financial and logistical burdens on voters.
The Trinamool Congress also warned that if the Election Commission proceeds with what it described as the forced deletion of more than one crore names from the electoral rolls, the party would launch a protest across the state.