The Election Commission of India has intensified its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, issuing notices to nearly 32 lakh voters, including several high-profile personalities. The latest prominent figure to receive a notice is actor and three-term Trinamool Congress MP, Deepak Adhikari, popularly known as Dev.
Notices to Prominent Figures
Dev, the TMC MP from Ghatal, has been summoned by the EC for the SIR hearing. According to local councillor Moushumi Das, notices have also been issued to three members of his family. The MP, who was born in Paschim Medinipur's Ghatal and grew up in Mumbai, later moved to Kolkata to pursue acting and now resides with his family in a South Kolkata flat. Dev has not yet commented on the notices.
The EC's action has drawn sharp criticism from the ruling Trinamool Congress. The party has alleged that the poll body is deliberately harassing the three-time MP.
Other eminent personalities from the Bengali film industry have also been served notices. Veteran actors Laboni Sarkar and Kaushik Bandyopadhyay, both residents of Tollygunge in south Kolkata, appeared for their hearing at Katjunagar School on Monday. Sarkar told mediapersons that they were made to sign two papers which were compared with their previous signatures, calling it "the work of the government."
Actor Anirban Bhattacharya, who also hails from Paschim Medinipur and moved to Kolkata for work, was summoned as he did not submit documents dating back to 2002 in his enumeration form, officials said.
Cricketer Shami Seeks Time, Poet Also Summoned
Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami has also been called for the hearing. However, Shami, who is currently in Rajkot to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy for West Bengal, could not appear on Monday. He has reportedly requested the Election Commission to allot him a later date for the proceedings.
Eminent poet Joy Goswami is another notable name who has received a notice from the EC as part of this large-scale verification drive.
The Scale of the SIR Exercise
This is the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision in the state, aimed at establishing proof of citizenship or cross-checking submitted documents. The massive exercise targeting 32 lakh voters underscores the EC's focus on cleansing the electoral rolls in West Bengal.
The process requires individuals to present valid documents to substantiate their citizenship and residence claims. The notices to such a wide array of public figures, from politicians and actors to sportsmen and poets, highlights the extensive and non-discriminatory nature of the current revision process being undertaken by the Election Commission.
