"Citizens being harassed, IT system misused for deletion of electors": Mamata Banerjee flags SIR in Bengal, writes to CEC Gyanesh Kumar

In her letter dated January 3, CM Banerjee alleged that officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) misused IT systems, claiming that voter names were deleted from the backend without proper authorisation.

She questioned who sanctioned such actions and under what legal authority, emphasising that the ECI must be held fully accountable for any illegal, arbitrary, or biased activities conducted under its supervision.

"There are also grave allegations regarding the backend deletion of electors through the misuse of IT systems, without following due process/ and without the knowledge or approval of the Electoral Registration Officers (EROS), who are the competent statutory authorities under the Representation of the People Act. This raises serious questions as to who has authorised such actions and under what legal authority. The ECI-must be held fully accountable for any illegal, arbitrary or biased actions carried out under its supervision or direction," the letter said.

She also highlighted concerns about the Family Register, which was widely accepted as a valid identity document during the SIR exercise in Bihar. According to her, it is now reportedly being rejected through informal WhatsApp communications from the Chief Electoral Officer's office, without any formal notification or statutory order. She described this selective and unexplained exclusion as raising "serious concerns of discrimination and arbitrariness."

"It has further been brought to our notice that the Family Register, which was extensively accepted as a valid proof of identity during the SIR exercise in Bihar, is now reportedly being denied as a valid document through an informal communication issued by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer via WhatsApp message, without any formal notification or statutory order to that effect. Such selective and unexplained exclusion of a previously accepted document raises serious concerns of discrimination and arbitrariness," CM Mamata said in her letter.

CM Banerjee further criticised the ECI for a lack of clarity regarding the objectives, procedures, and timelines of the SIR. She noted that while the exercise is described as time-bound, there are no uniform or transparent guidelines.

She said that states appear to be applying different criteria and arbitrarily changing timelines, reflecting poor preparedness and a lack of procedural understanding. She also expressed concern about the frequent issuance of critical instructions via informal channels, such as WhatsApp or text messages, rather than through official written notifications, circulars, or statutory orders, which are required for matters of such constitutional importance.

"It is deeply disturbing to observe that even at the national level, the ECI appears uncertain about the precise objectives, modalities, and end goals of the SIR. Although the exercise is described as time-bound, there are no clearly defined, transparent, or uniformly applicable timelines. Different States are following different criteria, and timelines are being altered arbitrarily, reflecting a glaring lack of clarity, preparedness, and procedural understanding. Shockingly, critical instructions are being issued almost on a daily basis, frequently through informal channels such as WhatsApp messages and text messages. No proper written notifications, circulars, or statutory orders-mandatory for an exercise of such magnitude and constitutional significance are being issued," read the letter. (ANI)