West Bengal SIR Protest: Large-scale protests have occurred in several districts of West Bengal over alleged harassment of people during the ongoing hearings of people who received notice by the EC over discrepancies in documents during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s electoral roll.
Offices of two Block Development officers were vandalised, roads were blocked, tyres were burnt during the demonstrations, which were held in South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Jhargram, and Purba Medinipur, prompting the deployment of forces in these areas.
What Are The Allegation Of Protestors
Protestors alleged that, despite holding valid documents, elderly people and genuine voters are being harassed, and notices are being served in the name of ‘logical discrepancies’ and ‘document mismatches with the voter list of 2002’, when SIR was conducted in West Bengal last.
Locals in Purba Medinipur's Haldia Debhog Gram Panchayat alleged that around 650 of 1,248 voters from booth number 269 in Manoharpur received hearing notices. As per locals, a majority of people who received notices are from minority communities.
A demonstrator claimed, "Most of those summoned at the hearing centre belonged to the Muslim community".
A protester alleged that Special Intensive Revision (SIR) notices have been issued for what they described as “minor discrepancies” in the electoral roll, leading to significant hardship for elderly people and those with health issues across the state.
What Is The Situation In Bengal Districts
As per officials, protestors blocked roads in South 24 Parganas, protestors blocked roads in a few areas.
“A few roads were blocked temporarily, but the situation is now under control. We are in constant touch with local representatives and ensuring that no adverse law-and-order situation develops,” a senior police officer of the district said.
A senior district police officer, quoted by PTI, said, “The police have no role in issuing hearing notices. Our responsibility is limited to maintaining law and order. We are ensuring that protests remain peaceful and that essential services are not disrupted."
What SC Observed On Ongoing SIR Process
The protests erupted a day after the Supreme Court observed that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal must be carried out in a transparent manner and should not cause undue hardship or inconvenience to voters.
The top court also directed the Election Commission (EC) to display the names of those on the ‘logical discrepancies’ list at gram panchayat bhavans and block offices, where documents and objections would be submitted.
West Bengal SIR Update
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has repeatedly raised alarms about the ongoing voter list revision process in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has personally written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, requesting an immediate halt to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Protesters have warned that they will step up their agitation if the authorities do not take corrective measures soon. Meanwhile, police officials said they are maintaining high alert in sensitive areas to ensure no further unrest takes place.
The West Bengal Electoral Roll draft, which was made public on December 16 last year, saw major changes in voter counts in the state, shrinking the number of electors from 7.66 crore to 7.08 crore, with over 58 lakh names deleted statewide.
As per ECI officials, the exclusions were based on grounds such as death, permanent migration, duplication and non-submission of enumeration forms. EC officials had said that voters labelled unmapped or discrepant were being allowed to be heard, and the final rolls would be published on February 14.