SIR Notice To Amartya Sen, Bengal Being Targeted, Claims Abhishek Banerjee

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew, and Trinamool Congress MP, Abhishek Banerjee, alleged on Tuesday that the Election Commission is targeting citizens of the poll-bound state over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. A notice has been sent to the Nobel Prize winner, Amartya Sen, to appear for the SIR hearing, Banerjee claimed.

Addressing a public meeting arranged by the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), Abhishek Banerjee said that popular figures, including actor-politician Dev and Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, have also been sent notices to attend the SIR hearing. According to sources, he said it is shameful that Amartya Sen, who is an economist and a Nobel Laureate, and someone who brought global recognition to the country, has been called to the SIR hearing. This is an attempt to harass and discredit everyone, Banerjee alleged.

Bengal Public Figures Receive SIR Notices

Actor and Trinamool Congress MP Dev, whose real name is Deepak Adhikari, has also been called to a SIR hearing. Notifications have also been sent to three other members of his family. Dev represents Ghatal in West Midnapore as a member of parliament. Despite being born there, he and his family eventually relocated to Mumbai because of his father's job. Later, he went back to West Bengal and became an actor.

Dev currently resides in South Kolkata permanently, but it remains unclear why he was called to the SIR hearing.

However, according to sources, Dev and his family members need to attend the designated SIR hearing. Dev has not commented on this yet. 

Another Bengali actor, Anirban Bhattacharya, had also received a hearing notice. He was born in West Midnapore as well, but he and his family eventually relocated to Kolkata for work. As per sources, Anirban is accused of failing to provide any papers from 2002 when completing the enumeration form. He was therefore called in for a hearing. SIR hearing notifications were also reportedly sent to two Tollygunge-based actor couples, Kaushik Banerjee and Laboni Sarkar.

Mohammed Shami, a pacer for the Indian cricket team, and his brother, Mohammed Kaif, were earlier called by the Election Commission to attend the SIR hearing. However, because he is out of state competing for Bengal in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Shami is expected to appear before the poll commission on January 9 and 11. Shami is registered to vote in the Rashbehari Assembly constituency of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Ward No. 93. Despite being born in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, he has lived in Kolkata permanently for a number of years.

Would Move Court Over SIR Conduct: Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee had said in a public meeting a day before that she would move to the Supreme Court against the “inhumane conduct” of the SIR of the electoral rolls in the state.

Abhishek Banerjee had earlier claimed that 45 people had lost their lives, six were hospitalised, and 29 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) attempted suicide during what was expected to be a routine administrative exercise.

Referring to his remarks, Mamata Banerjee had said that the SIR process has been used to “harass Bengal." On Saturday, Banerjee had written to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, criticising the EC for a lack of transparency and clarity regarding the objectives, procedures, and timelines of SIR in Bengal.

The Election Commission has not issued any official statement regarding Abhishek Banerjee's claim about Amartya Sen being served an SIR notice yet.  The SIR exercise had been rolled out by the Election Commission in 12 states, including all poll-bound states and union territories in 2026. The final electoral rolls would be released on February 7, as a part of the exercise.

Also read: SIR Used To 'Harass Bengal', Will Move Court Against 'Inhumane' Conduct: Mamata Banerjee