The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission (EC), calling a notice sent to Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen an "affront to Bengal and an icon." The notice, part of the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, summoned Sen for a hearing over a discrepancy that the poll body later identified as a simple spelling error.
EC Clarifies Stance, Offers Home Visit
The Election Commission quickly moved to clarify the situation. It stated that Amartya Sen does not need to report to the designated office in Bolpur, Birbhum district. Instead, a Booth Level Officer (BLO) will visit Pratichi, the Harvard economist's ancestral home in Santiniketan, to rectify the error. This step was taken to address the issue without inconveniencing the 90-year-old laureate.
TMC's Strong Condemnation and Allegations of Targeting
MP and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee seized upon the incident, using it to criticize the BJP and the EC. Speaking at a public event in Birbhum, Banerjee, whose party has flagged multiple alleged anomalies in the SIR exercise, claimed the notice reflected a systematic targeting of influential voices in Bengal.
"This is not an isolated insult. Actor Dev and cricketer Mohammed Shami were also served notices. As if achievement, integrity and dignity mean nothing any more," he said. He added, "Nobel laureate Amartya Sen carried India's intellect and values onto the world stage. Today, even a public figure of his stature stands humiliated by BJP-controlled EC." Banerjee urged voters to "drive out forever BJP agents who want to unmap the people of Bengal."
Background of the SIR Process for Sen
District officials provided context, noting that Sen's late mother, Amita Sen, was on the electoral rolls during the 2002 SIR in Bengal. Amartya Sen, who has spent much of his life abroad, registered as a voter in Bengal in 2014 and cast his vote in the Lok Sabha election that same year.
When the current SIR process began in the state on November 4, an SIR enumeration form was issued in Sen's name. His cousin, Santabhanu Sen, submitted the filled-in form to the BLO. Regarding the recent notice, Santabhanu Sen told TOI, "We are still to receive the hard copy of the notice that we hear has been generated. The caretaker of Pratichi informs me about any mail that is delivered there."
The episode has added fuel to the ongoing political tussle in West Bengal over the electoral roll revision, with the ruling TMC using it to accuse the opposition BJP of manipulating administrative processes.
