EC Faces TMC Criticism Over 'Inhuman' Treatment of Elderly, Disabled Voters

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The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the Election Commission (EC) of subjecting elderly, ailing, and disabled citizens to undue hardship by requiring them to attend in-person hearings at camps for the Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR). The TMC claims that the EC is forcing these individuals to travel long distances, often in difficult conditions, instead of sending officials to their homes for verification. The issue at hand involves 'unmapped' electors, who were categorized as such due to discrepancies in their enumeration forms. TMC MP Partha Bhowmik alleged that the EC has summoned these individuals, including many who are elderly or have mobility issues, to attend hearings at camps. He questioned why the EC couldn't follow the same procedure as in the past, where officials were sent to residents' homes. Senior minister Sashi Panja echoed Bhowmik's concerns, describing the EC's attitude as 'inhuman.' She emphasized the difficulties faced by elderly, ailing, and disabled individuals in reaching the camps, and urged the EC to arrange for in-home hearings. Panja also pointed out a discrepancy in the EC's data, citing a report that 1.36 crore people will be called for hearing, but the EC has not provided a clear explanation for why these individuals were left out of the provisional voters list. The TMC has demanded that the EC publish a detailed breakdown of the categories under which people were called for hearing, and lower the age limit for in-home hearings to 85 years. The EC's handling of this issue has been met with criticism from the TMC, who have condemned the 'torture' inflicted on vulnerable citizens.