Netaji’s grandnephew slams SIR as ‘sheer harassment’, alleges lack of clarity

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s grandnephew, Chandra Kumar Bose, has slammed the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll as "sheer harassment" and claimed that it lacks clarity. Bose made the remarks days after he, along with his wife and daughter,s appeared for an SIR hearing on January 16.

Bose, who was a BJP candidate in the 2016 West Bengal assembly elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections further stated on Monday (January 19) that the ongoing electoral roll revision exercise was “important” but “not being conducted properly”.

The sexagenarian said that he, his wife and daughter appeared for the hearing on January 16, while his two sons, who are abroad, had authorised them to appear on their behalf.

‘Common people being harassed’

"The SIR is important, but the way it is being conducted is not proper. Common people are being harassed in the name of SIR. I do not see the reason for conducting it in such a hurry," he told PTI.

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Bose claimed that he and his family members had submitted all the requisite documents along with their enumeration forms.

"Yet, we were summoned for a hearing. The reason given was quite surprising, as poll officials said there was a problem with the linkage. I am not complaining because I was called for SIR, but the entire process is a hodgepodge without any clarity," he alleged.

This is "sheer harassment, nothing else", Bose claimed.

‘Confusion’ over 2002 voter list

"First, they said my name could not be found in the 2002 voters' list, and later they found my name. Now, after submitting the forms with all the valid documents, they claimed that there was a problem with the linkage. If it is a technical issue, who should be held responsible for that?" he asked.

Also Read: 54 lakh voter names deleted in Bengal SIR, 84 dead, alleges Mamata Banerjee

However, according to reports in Bengali media, the Election Commission stated Bose was called for a hearing as he had left the section related to “linkage” blank in the enumeration form.

What is the ‘linkage’ issue

The issue of “linkage” pertains to whether a voter’s name appears in the 2002 electoral roll, which every voter is required to indicate in the enumeration form. If the name does appear, that information must be filled in the form. If it does not, details must be provided of family members, such as parents or close relatives, whose names appeared in that roll.

The poll panel stated that Chandra Bose had submitted the enumeration form, leaving that entire section blank.

(With agency inputs)