Till Tuesday evening, there has been a noticeable lack of clarity in the public domain regarding this sensitive issue, leading to feverish speculations and questions. The West Bengal chief minister seized the opportunity and criticised the EC for the harassment caused to those under adjudication. The EC, a senior poll panel official has argued, has nothing to do with the process of inclusion or exclusion. The SIR process in Bengal has been mired in controversy from the very beginning. Worse, the EC has failed to dispel doubts about the SIR being exclusionary — targeted — in nature.

Source: The Telegraph March 25, 2026 03:13 UTC