Trinamool Congress intensifies SIR protest as death toll rises to 17

Kolkata: The number of alleged deaths linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bengal has reportedly risen to seventeen, as panic and confusion continue to grip several districts over the ongoing voter list verification process.

The latest incident was reported from Kumarganj in South Dinajpur, where a 65-year-old man was found hanging, allegedly after growing anxious that his name might be omitted from the electoral rolls. His family claimed he had been under immense stress for days, fearing loss of voting rights despite being a long-time resident and voter in the area. This tragic incident adds to a growing list of similar deaths reported from different parts of the state.

In another report, Swapna Sarkar from Neora in Basirhat faced similar anxiety after she failed to receive her enumeration form despite her name being present in the 2002 voter list.

Shockingly, she later learned that her name had been shifted to Ranaghat in Nadia district, a place with which she has no connection. The incident further illustrates the widespread apprehension among voters about administrative lapses in the revision process.

Amid these mounting concerns, protests have begun to intensify. On Monday, residents and political workers in East Burdwan held a protest march from Police Line to Curzon Gate, accusing the authorities of a deliberate attempt to deprive citizens of their constitutional right to vote “in the name of SIR.” The demonstrators alleged that such discrepancies and arbitrary removals from the electoral rolls are part of a larger political conspiracy.

While the Election Commission has urged calm and assured transparency, the recurring incidents and growing death toll underline the depth of fear and mistrust surrounding the ongoing voter list revision in Bengal.