A Nobel laureate should be above suspicion. But if he is a Bengali, he is served hearing notices like a criminal, says Trinamool Congress
KOLKATA — The Election Commission of India (ECI) notice to Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen over discrepancies in his enumeration form has sparked a political row in West Bengal.
The notice, issued on Wednesday, is part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters list in the state ahead of the assembly elections, tentatively in March-April. The notice alleges a 15-year age difference between Sen and his mother, which Sen’s relatives claim is factually incorrect. The EC has scheduled a hearing for January 16 to verify the issue.
The notice was handed over by a Booth Level Officer (BLO) to Sen’s relatives at his Pratichi residence in Bolpur, Shantiniketan, in Birbhum district. The hearing has been scheduled for January 16, when the BLO will visit Sen’s residence.
Election Commission officials said the notice was generated after an issue was flagged in the form related to age details. “A hearing notice was generated for Amartya Sen as his age difference with his mother appeared to be less than 15 years according to the enumeration form. There must have been some discrepancy. The EC does not issue notices unnecessarily,” an official said, adding that special provisions exist for voters above the age of 85. The official also said that any voter facing such issues is required to submit one of the 13 documents prescribed by the Commission.
Opposition parties have slammed the EC, calling the notice “harassment” and “tragic”. The Congress and Trinamool Congress have demanded an apology, questioning why a globally respected academic is being targeted.
The Congress asserted that the ECI and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should apologise to Dr Sen. “The Election Commission has asked Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen to prove his citizenship. They have formally sent him a notice for this purpose. Gyanesh Kumar has tarnished the credibility of the Election Commission, and that too only because he wants to please his boss Modi,” read a post by the party’s X account.
The Trinamool Congress questioned why an internationally recognised Nobel laureate was being dragged into what it described as a flawed process. “A Nobel laureate should be above suspicion. But if he is a Bengali, he is served hearing notices like a criminal,” the party said in a social media post, calling the SIR exercise a farce.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee earlier alleged that the Election Commission was selectively targeting prominent personalities from Bengal, referring not only to Amartya Sen but also to cricketer Mohammed Shami and actor Dev (Deepak Adhikari).
EC officials claim the issue is technical and Sen isn’t required to appear in person. The controversy comes amid criticism of the SIR exercise, which has led to over 58 lakh voters being dropped from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar urging that the exercise be halted, citing serious procedural lapses and the risk of disenfranchisement. The BJP, however, has defended the process, accusing the state government of trying to obstruct electoral reforms.
