SIR fear: Woman self-immolates; ‘death exemplifies lethal consequences’, says TMC

Kolkata: “The death of Mastura Khatun exemplifies the lethal consequences of an Election Commission that has chosen to serve partisan interests over the safety and dignity of citizens,” the Trinamool Congress said, reacting sharply to the suicide of a 40-year-old woman from Bhatar in East Burdwan. The party alleged that the EC’s rushed SIR deadlines and coercive field pressures have created an atmosphere of fear among the poorest households across Bengal. The woman, identified as Mastura Khatun, on Friday night allegedly set herself on fire after becoming deeply distressed over the ongoing SIR verification process. Her family claimed she had been anxious for days, worried about documentation lapses and repeated visits by survey teams. Neighbours said she panicked over the possibility of losing her voter status or facing official consequences if any details were found incorrect, though she has her name in the 2002 voter list. She was rushed to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital with severe burns but did not survive.

Local political leaders also reached out to the grieving family. Area MLA Mangobinda Adhikari visited the residence of the deceased. TMC’s all-India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has reportedly kept in touch with the family as well. Following his instructions, TMC MP Sayani Ghosh is scheduled to visit the house on Friday evening. TMC has termed the incident “not an accident but an indictment of a system that forces vulnerable citizens to pay the highest price.” The party accused the Election Commission of engineering the compressed SIR schedule to serve a political narrative, alleging that the process has disproportionately burdened daily-wage earners, women and elderly residents. The party has demanded immediate accountability from the EC, calling for the coercive aspects of the SIR exercise to be suspended. “Until justice is served, and until responsibility is fixed, Bengal will not be silenced,” the party said.