The demonstrators were taken into custody after police intervened to prevent the gathering from escalating, officials said. The protest followed the submission of an open letter by the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee to the ECI, raising objections to the conduct of SIR hearings and the criteria being used to flag voters for verification.
According to the Congress, more than one crore voters in West Bengal have been issued hearing notices on the basis of what it termed vague and undefined “logical discrepancies.” Party leaders claimed these discrepancies include age inconsistencies, parent-child linkage issues, spelling variations in names, and unusually high numbers of children linked to a single elector. The Congress argued that such parameters are neither specified in official SIR guidelines nor sanctioned under the Representation of the People Act.
The party cited figures from known ECI submissions to argue that varying thresholds were applied to identify “suspected electors,” resulting in a sharp and unexplained rise in the number of voters called for hearings. Congress leaders questioned the legal basis for these classifications, alleging that the process lacks uniform standards and opens the door to arbitrary exclusions.
Concerns were also raised about procedural opacity. The Congress alleged that voters attending hearings are not being informed of the outcomes and that no written orders are issued after verification. This, the party said, has created widespread anxiety among electors, particularly among marginalised groups, migrant workers, and the elderly, who fear potential deletion from the rolls.
During the protest, Congress leaders demanded an immediate suspension of hearings based on “logical discrepancies,” the convening of an all-party meeting to review the SIR process, and public disclosure of detailed hearing data. They also sought exemptions for senior citizens and migrant voters from mandatory physical appearances.
Police officials said the detentions were preventive and aimed at maintaining law and order near the ECI office. Those detained were later released, according to party sources.
The Election Commission has not yet responded publicly to the Congress’ allegations or demands. The episode adds to the mounting opposition scrutiny of the SIR exercise in West Bengal, with political parties closely watching how the revision process unfolds ahead of future electoral contests.
