West Bengal SIR Drive: ECI Summons Mohammed Shami, TMC MP and Family for Voter Check

Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami and Trinamool Congress MP Deepak Adhikari have been called by the Election Commission of India for a hearing linked to the special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal, where officials say the process includes checks related to citizenship and voter enrolment records.

Officials said the notices to Shami, Adhikari and some of Adhikari’s relatives are part of the same West Bengal exercise. The hearing is meant to examine documents and confirm details on the electoral list, after doubts were reportedly raised during the ongoing verification and enumeration process.

West Bengal SIR notices and Election Commission hearing

News agency PTI quoted officials as saying that Adhikari and three family members must attend the special intensive revision hearing to prove citizenship. According to the report, Adhikari did not provide any document dated 2002 or earlier when the enumeration form was submitted to the authorities.

Shami has told officials that an appearance may be difficult at present because of cricket duties. The fast bowler is playing for the West Bengal side in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and has team commitments during the tournament schedule, which may clash with any date fixed for the SIR-related hearing.

West Bengal SIR, voter records and political response

Shami, who was born in Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, has played domestic cricket for West Bengal for several years. Media reports state that Shami lives mainly in Kolkata and is registered as a voter in Kolkata Municipal Corporation Ward Number 93, which comes under the Rashbehari Assembly constituency.

The ruling TMC has sharply criticised the West Bengal SIR drive. Party leaders claim the review is flawed and have urged the Election Commission to stop it. The Commission has replied by asking the party not to spread rumours regarding the process or its stated objectives in the state.

On Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar about the ongoing special intensive revision. Banerjee warned that the exercise, if it continued in its current format, could cause "mass disenfranchisement" and "strike at the foundations of democracy" across the state.

"I am once again constrained to write to you in order to place on record my grave concern," Banerjee wrote. "These deficiencies demonstrate that the SIR process, as presently conducted, stands deeply compromised and strikes at the basic structural framework of our democracy."

The summons to Shami and Adhikari have now drawn public attention to the West Bengal SIR, which is facing political resistance from the TMC, while the Election Commission continues with hearings that aim to verify electoral records and supporting papers for those named in the notices.