NewKerala.com

ECI Clarifies No Hearing Notice Sent to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen

The Election Commission of India has clarified that no hearing notice was served to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen regarding the draft voters' list in West Bengal. The Commission stated that a minor spelling error in the enumeration form caused a logical discrepancy, which is being corrected by a booth-level officer. It emphasized that Sen, being 92, is exempt from physically appearing at a hearing centre under guidelines for senior citizens above 85. The clarification came after Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee accused the ECI of serving a notice to Sen during a public rally.

Key Points: ECI Clarifies Amartya Sen Voter List Notice Claims

  • ECI denies notice to Amartya Sen
  • Clarifies error due to spelling discrepancy
  • Senior citizens exempt from physical hearing
  • Abhishek Banerjee made claim at rally
2 min read

ECI clarifies Abhishek Banerjee's claims on SIR hearing notice to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen

Election Commission denies Abhishek Banerjee's claim that a hearing notice was sent to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen over voter list discrepancies.

"The Nobel Awardee economist is 92-years-old... senior citizens... will not be required to physically appear - West Bengal CEO Office Insider"

Kolkata, Jan 6

The Election Commission of India, on Tuesday, clarified the claims made by the Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP, Abhishek Banerjee, accusing the Commission of serving notice for a hearing on claims and objections over the draft voters' list in West Bengal to Nobel laureate and economist Amartya Sen.

Hours after Abhishek Banerjee claimed the matter at a public rally in Birbhum district, the native district of Sen where he continues to be a voter, the Commission had clarified that as regards to Sen, some "logical discrepancies" because of error in spelling in the enumeration form had surfaced and for that no notice has been served to him to appear at the hearing centre.

"The Nobel Awardee economist is 92-years-old. As per the Commission's guidelines, senior citizens attaining 85 years of age and above will not be required to physically appear at the hearing centre, and in their cases, the electoral registration officer (EROs) concerned will personally visit their residences and conduct the necessary hearing for necessary corrections. Since in the case of Sen, the logical discrepancy is just because of a spelling error in the enumeration form, the Commission had directed the booth-level officer (BLO) concerned to fix the spelling errors," said an insider from the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

Sen's ancestral residence is at Bolpur-Santiniketan in Birbhum district, and he continues to be a voter there though he has long been residing in the US as a non-resident Indian.

The last time he had voted at Bolpur-Santiniketan was during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Earlier on Tuesday, while addressing a rally at Birbhum, Abhishek Banerjee claimed that the ECI had sent a hearing notice to Amartya Sen.

"The man who has made the country proud has been served with a hearing notice. The man who brought global recognition for India -- Amartya Sen -- has received notice for the SIR hearing," Banerjee said.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Why is a simple spelling error being turned into a political issue? The ECI has guidelines to protect elderly voters. Abhishek Banerjee should focus on real problems instead of creating drama. Amartya Sen is a respected figure and deserves better than to be used like this.
R
Rahul R
It's a bit worrying that such a prominent person's voter details had a spelling error. What about common people? The ECI must ensure booth-level officers are more careful. The system needs to be robust for everyone.
D
David E
Interesting to see this from abroad. The protocol for senior citizens visiting their homes is a good, humane policy. Politicians everywhere sometimes jump on incomplete information. Glad it was cleared up.
A
Ananya R
Respect for Amartya Sen sir. He voted last in 2014, shows his connection to his roots despite living abroad. Hope the BLO fixes the error promptly. These small administrative things shouldn't become political footballs.
M
Michael C
The clarification makes sense. "Logical discrepancies" due to spelling is a common database issue. The important part is the corrective action. The focus should be on ensuring every eligible voter is correctly enrolled.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50