A groom in West Bengal’s Birbhum district was forced to attend a voter verification hearing on the day of his wedding, highlighting the growing disruption caused by the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the state.
The incident took place in Nanoor, where Kabir Akbar Rana, a resident of Khujutipara under the Nanoor police station, had his wedding scheduled at Chauhatta in the Labpur police station area. Instead of travelling to the wedding venue in a decorated car, the groom reported to the Block Development Officer (BDO) office in Nanoor after receiving a notice from the Election Commission.
“It is my brother’s wedding day. The date was already locked about two months earlier but he was called on by Election Commission for a verification of his eligibility under the ongoing SIR process,” said Firdous Wahid, Akbar Rana’s elder cousin brother.
According to the notice, the Election Commission’s records showed “logical discrepancies” in Rana’s family details. “Rana received the notice just 3 days ago when he was asked to appear in order to solve the discrepancies mentioned in the notice. We will reach the wedding venue after completion of the due process.” Wahid shared. He added that the family was “harassed” saying their father was listed as parent of six brothers in the household.
The notice was issued just three days before the wedding, directing Rana to appear at the SIR hearing centre and submit documents related to the alleged discrepancies. Family members accompanied him to the BDO office, arriving in full wedding attire—an unusual sight that left those present at the hearing centre astonished.
“There were several wrong listings. The household consists of only one brother and one sister. This process has left us confused and anxious over the demand to produce documents for family members who do not exist. It is harassment for the entire wedding party on such a joyous occasion,” Rana’s brother shared.
The family also expressed discontent about the tedious verification process mandated by the Election Commission. “We have to oblige to everything the Election Commission is saying. The process is haywire. Does this country belong to the Election Commissioner? It is important that people’s needs are priortised. It is harassment of general people,” said Habibullah Sheikh, relative of Rana.
The episode comes amid a statewide Special Intensive Revision of voter lists, during which voters are being summoned to hearings to verify personal and family details. The process has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who have alleged harassment and inconvenience caused by mandatory appearances.
