Villagers protest SIR hearings, allege selective targeting in South 24 Parganas

Protests broke out on Sunday in the Basanti area of West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, with villagers demonstrating against what they described as harassment during the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing process.

Angry residents blocked a highway by burning tyres, bringing traffic to a halt for several hours. Most of those taking part in the protest belong to the minority community and alleged that they were being selectively targeted through repeated SIR notices.

According to the protesters, many residents were summoned for hearings despite having already submitted multiple documents required for voter verification. They questioned why fresh notices were being issued after the completion of earlier formalities.

A local resident participating in the protest said they were not being given written communication and were instead being verbally informed by Booth Level Officers. The villager alleged that Muslim families were facing disproportionate scrutiny and that some were being asked to provide additional proof related to family details, even as similar cases among others were being processed without difficulty.

Similar demonstrations have also been reported from Baduria in North 24 Parganas district and from Magrahat and Mangalkot in South 24 Parganas and East Burdwan districts, indicating wider discontent over the SIR process.

A senior district official in South 24 Parganas confirmed that a protest was under way in Basanti and said traffic movement had been disrupted. He added that officials were in talks with demonstrators to persuade them to withdraw the blockade.

The Election Commission of India has meanwhile clarified that secondary school admit cards are not valid documents for SIR hearings. Voters who submitted admit cards as proof have been told they will be summoned again and must furnish alternative documents.

Of the 12 documents prescribed by the commission, excluding Aadhaar, the secondary school certificate is accepted as proof of age. In West Bengal, many voters had submitted secondary school admit cards because they include date of birth details, especially in cases where birth certificates are unavailable.

The commission has stated that admit cards are not recognised outside the state and therefore cannot be accepted, insisting that only certificates will be considered valid. The clarification has caused inconvenience for many voters and has been cited by residents as a key reason behind the growing protests against the SIR process.

With IANS inputs