- Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee has claimed that Amartya Sen and others received hearing notices during SIR
- The poll commission has clarified that the notice was sent over a spelling error, and no hearing is required
- Trinamool Congress has approached the Supreme Court against Election Commission’s SIR process
Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen has been called for a hearing by the Election Commission in connection with the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress claimed today amid its ongoing face-off with the Commission over SIR. Moments after this claim by Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee at a public rally in the economist's home district Birbhum, sources in the Election Commission said it is just a spelling error in the enumeration form and Sen need not appear before the poll body for a hearing.
There was a mismatch in the system, and a computer-generated notice was sent to him, sources said. The Commission has asked the concerned BLO to fix the spelling error, sources said.
Sources in Amartya Sen's Trust told NDTV no SIR notice has been received at the Nobel Laureate's residence in Bolpur so far.
Sen casts his ballot in Shantiniketan, founded by Rabindranath Tagore. He cast his ballot last in 2014 and continues to carry a voter ID.
Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool National General Secretary and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had held a public rally in Birbhum where he lashed out at the Election Commission and the BJP over targeting people in West Bengal.
He also said Trinamool MP and actor Dev, cricketer Md Shami and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen have been served hearing notices in the ongoing SIR exercise in West Bengal.
The Trinamool Congress went to the Supreme Court today seeking action against the Election Commission. The poll body, it had argued, is carrying out the SIR exercise in an unorganised, non-transparent and haphazard manner.
