TMC says EC's SIR notice to RS MP Samirul Islam shows 'vendetta', 'harassment of Bengalis'

Kolkata, Jan 16 (PTI) The TMC on Thursday alleged political vendetta after the Election Commission issued a hearing notice under the SIR of electoral rolls to party Rajya Sabha member Samirul Islam, saying the move showed how even sitting MPs were being "humiliated" for defending Bengalis.

The Election Commission (EC) has asked Islam to appear for a hearing in connection with alleged discrepancies between his name and his father's name in the current electoral rolls and the voters' list prepared during the previous SIR exercise.

Confirming receipt of the notice, a senior TMC leader said he has been asked to appear with relevant documents on January 19 at Dunigram A Karim High School in Birbhum district.

According to the notice, "Due to a mismatch in your name/your father's name in the present electoral rolls and the electoral rolls prepared during the previous SIR, and based on the linkage shown in your enumeration form, it appears that you have been incorrectly linked with the earlier SIR electoral rolls," necessitating his appearance.

The TMC mounted a sharp attack on the BJP and the EC, alleging that the SIR process was being used as a political weapon.

"Let this sink in," the party said in a post on X, alleging that the BJP and an Election Commission acting "hand-in-glove" were asking a Rajya Sabha MP to prove that he is a voter and to "establish" his citizenship.

Referring to Islam's role in the case of Sunali Khatun, a Bengali woman allegedly illegally deported to Bangladesh, the TMC leader said he had fought relentlessly against the system and played a decisive role in bringing her back home. "That is why he is being targeted today," the party claimed.

Calling the SIR process "shameless, broken and authoritarian", the TMC alleged that it had become so vindictive that even MPs were being dragged into what it termed a farce.

"If a Member of Parliament can be subjected to this, imagine the fear and harassment being unleashed on ordinary citizens," the party said, accusing the BJP of "hating Bengal".

Islam's family hails from Dunigram in Rampurhat, which falls under the Hansan Assembly constituency. Though professional commitments often keep him in Kolkata and Delhi, he continues to be registered as a voter in Hansan.

Islam joined the TMC in 2023 and was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha. An academic by profession, he has long worked on issues related to migrant labourers and was known as a social activist before entering active politics.

Repeated calls and messages to Islam went unanswered.

The party also pointed out that Islam was not the only public figure to receive such a notice. Earlier, actor and three-time Ghatal MP Dev was also issued an SIR hearing notice and had appeared before election officials.

The SIR exercise has triggered a major political row in West Bengal, with the TMC alleging selective targeting and intimidation, while election officials have maintained that the revision process is routine and carried out as per established rules. PTI PNT MNB