Asansol Correspondent, Shyam Das: Demanding a speedy hearing for the names omitted from the voter list or SIR (Special Intensive Revision) and in the fight to protect the democratic rights of common people, the Asansol Sub-Divisional Officer's office became turbulent on Tuesday morning. Venting strong anger against the policies and actions of the Election Commission, the Congress party organized a massive protest program.
On Tuesday morning, under the leadership of Congress Committee member of Asansol North Block, prominent veteran leader and former councilor S. M. Mustafa, Congress workers reached the Sub-Divisional Officer's office in a procession. There, they raised slogans and staged a demonstration for a long time.
During the protest, S. M. Mustafa told the media that in the name of Special Intensive Revision or SIR, thousands of ordinary people's names have been systematically omitted from the voter list in Paschim Bardhaman district alone. He alleged that due to this biased policy of the Election Commission, the ruling party and the BJP are trying to reap political benefits behind the scenes, and this conspiracy has been hatched solely to favor a particular political party.
He further stated that the omission of names from the voter list not only curtails the right to vote but also deprives common people of all kinds of government welfare schemes and legal facilities and benefits. Originally, the hearings for these omitted names were supposed to take place before the upcoming assembly elections, but it is extremely unfortunate that the Election Commission has not completed them.
The Congress leadership made a clear demand that a special hearing must be arranged immediately to enroll the names of these omitted citizens before the upcoming municipal corporation elections. Otherwise, they have warned of launching a larger movement.
