- By Priyanka Koul
- Sun, 28 Dec 2025 06:06 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday accused the Election Commission of compelling elderly, ailing citizens, and people with disabilities to attend hearings at camps far from their homes as part of the Special Initiative for Registration (SIR), rather than sending officials to conduct verifications at their residences. The hearings for "unmapped" voters began on December 27.
TMC Member of Parliament Partha Bhowmik criticised the Election Commission during a press conference, claiming that elderly and ill citizens, who were categorized as "unmapped" due to errors in their enumeration forms, were being summoned to attend these hearings.
"This is nothing short of torture. The EC usually sends polling personnel to elderly individuals' homes due to mobility issues. Why couldn't they follow the same procedure this time?" Bhowmik questioned. He also stated that TMC leaders had raised this issue multiple times during meetings with the Election Commission, but their concerns were evidently ignored. "We condemn such behavior," he added.
Similarly, senior minister Shashi Panja denounced the Election Commission’s approach, calling it "inhuman."
ALSO READ: Aadhaar–PAN Linking To ITR Filing: Four Key Tasks To Complete Before December 31
"Elderly persons, ailing and differently abled people are facing great difficulty in reaching the camps at the appointed date and hour. The EC must immediately arrange for their hearing to take place at homes by lowering the age limit for such a facility of 85 years," she said.
Panja also said while there are reports that a total of 1.36 crore people would be called for hearing, there remains a logical discrepancy as the EC has not spelt out on what count they have been left out in the provisional voters list despite coming up with data.
ALSO READ: Centre Sets Up 24X7 Aviation Control Room After Indigo Flight Chaos; Here's How It Will Work
The senior TMC leader demanded that the EC publish a break-up of the categories under which people were called for hearing.
( With PTI Inputs )