- 3 hours ago
In this edition of Election Despatch, India Today brings a ground report from Bengal where 27 lakh names were deleted from the electoral rolls under the logical discrepancy category during the SIR exercise.
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00:20The high decibel political campaign has drowned out almost every other sound, almost.
00:30But if you listen closely, you'll hear it still.
00:34The shuffling of papers, the murmur of anxious voices, the quiet weight of uncertainty.
00:46There were 27 lakh deletions from the controversial logical discrepancy category after adjudication by judicial officers.
00:56The Supreme Court earlier ruled that while these individuals may appeal to tribunals later, their names will not feature in
01:05the frozen rolls for the 2026 Assembly elections.
01:18However, after many appeals and petitions, the Supreme Court allowed voters cleared by the appellate tribunal to vote in the
01:28Assembly elections,
01:29provided their appeals are decided before 21st and 27th for the first and second phase.
01:40Looking at these appeals are 19 judges stationed at this government building converted into a tribunal in Jokha, Kolkata.
01:51While there is no official figure, but it does seem the appeals run in lax and there are only 19
01:59judges.
01:59and time is running out.
02:03His name is Mehman Ali's.
02:10My name is Mahamad Aminul Islam.
02:12Where is the consequence of the Malda district?
02:14Malda district, Rotoa Constitucancy.
02:16You are here from Malda.
02:19Yes.
02:19How long is it?
02:21The Malda is 400 km from here.
02:23400 km.
02:24Because judges are sitting here, so that's why they come.
02:27Yes, yes.
02:27I hope is that I have everything right.
02:31So, let's go and see what happens.
02:33I have to go back to the boat because I am a teacher.
02:36What are you doing?
02:37I am a teacher.
02:38You are a teacher.
02:39I have taken the boat twice.
02:41One time I have taken the election of the people's election.
02:44One time I have taken the election.
02:46That's when I got my name.
02:47I have done training.
02:50What training is that?
02:51I have done training for voting.
02:54I have not understood.
02:55I have done voting.
02:57Election duty.
02:58Election duty.
02:59You have been living on the election duty twice?
03:00Yes.
03:01Two times.
03:02You have been living on the election duty twice?
03:04Yes.
03:05This time I will also go.
03:06I mean, I am in Rai Ganj.
03:09So, you are on the election duty, but you will not be able to vote yourself?
03:13In my house, I have total 4 votes.
03:16My mother, father and my sister.
03:19My father's name is okay.
03:20My mother.
03:20My mother's name is okay.
03:21But my sister has cut.
03:24I got a notice for me.
03:26But in Bangla is written in us, and it has written that the children of whose mother and mother
03:41What does it mean?
03:41It means that I have linked with Pita, and 6 people linked with him, which creates a doubt.
03:52I have also told the police about how this is going.
03:55I have also called my friends.
03:56They are telling me how it is happening, I don't know.
04:00I have come here with legal documents, so I have come here.
04:02If you want to see the documents, you can see.
04:06Why is my name cut?
04:07There is no spelling wrong.
04:09There is no spelling wrong.
04:10I have been given in 2009.
04:14Will you show your papers?
04:16Yes, I will.
04:17See the original documents.
04:19What will we do in the original documents?
04:22You will show us.
04:23My file is made.
04:24This is the whole file.
04:25This is the image.
04:27This is all I have.
04:29This is the admin card.
04:31This is the admin card.
04:32This is the admin card.
04:33This is the board certificate.
04:35This one.
04:36This is the original documents.
04:41My documents are written in the school.
04:44This is the appointment letter.
04:45When someone is getting a lawyer,
04:49it will be written in the Indian.
04:53It will be written in the case of the papers.
04:54We have written in the form.
04:56In the form there is this information.
04:58You are Indian or not.
04:59This is the first of the documents.
05:04This is my innumination form, which I was released for the bottle list in 2002.
05:14This is my father's name. This is a 1968 bottle list, where my father's name is.
05:25This is my father's name, but my name is Deletion.
05:32No need not to be alone.
05:47Dada, information is from where everybody is.
05:50The press is from.
05:52How many people have gone on the island?
05:55Because many people are sitting out.
05:57The people are asking us, so we are asking you.
06:02No, this is okay.
06:04It's not allowed here.
06:06It's not allowed here.
06:07It's not allowed here.
06:07There are no people who have called someone.
06:11The people who have a testimony or notice will be allowed.
06:16Here, they are not allowed here.
06:20There are two days.
06:23There are two days, the first phase is voting.
06:24The people are saying, if you don't call them, then when will you call them?
06:28What will you tell us?
06:29We are doing duty here, right?
06:31You are saying.
06:32Nobody has called them.
06:33Nobody has called them.
06:38So no one has been called till now.
06:40This is where the 19 judges are sitting.
06:41This is the only appellate tribunal that is there in all of West Bengal.
06:47And there's one supplementary voter list which will come out tomorrow.
06:53And if their deleted voter names are not on that, then they will not be allowed to vote this election
07:00at least.
07:01So all eyes pinned right now on these 19 judges.
07:07Till now, strangely, as per what the police officials here are saying, that nobody has been called in.
07:15The U.S. is holding on the name of the U.S.
07:27The U.S.
07:29The U.S.
07:30The U.S.
07:31The U.S.
07:40The U.S.
07:43What are you doing, brother?
07:48We are a building contractor.
07:52What are you doing?
07:54What are you doing?
07:55There was a notice.
07:57What is it written in Bengali?
08:00My father's name is Min.
08:03Because sheikh is sheikh.
08:05Sheikh was the first name and now sheikh was the last name.
08:10Sheikh was the last name and now sheikh is the last name.
08:13No, no.
08:14What is it written after that?
08:17No.
08:18When the notice came, it was gone.
08:21All documents were collected.
08:22After that, it was deleted.
08:25It was deleted after that.
08:27What is it written after that?
08:29Notice.
08:31Our name is Rabiul Malik.
08:33Our mother's name is Manwara.
08:34This is your 2002 link.
08:36This is your name.
08:38This is your mother's name.
08:39My mother's name.
08:43This is a passport.
08:44This is a passport.
08:45Yes, it's a passport.
08:48Aadhar card, pen card.
08:54This is deleted.
08:58This is deleted.
08:59Yes.
09:01And when the father happened, he made it.
09:05He made it.
09:06What happened?
09:07The father's name is Rabiul Malik.
09:09So he made an affidavit saying that the name change of his wife's father was done when her voter ID
09:15was being made.
09:16His voter ID was being made in 2002 and later.
09:19So the change happened.
09:20A mistake happened at the election commission's end.
09:23And now they are paying the price.
09:24What is the biggest fear?
09:26What is the biggest fear?
09:26What is the name of the voter ID?
09:29What is the fear?
09:30The fear is this thing.
09:32If you don't give this vote,
09:34then you will say something that you are not here.
09:38You are not here.
09:39You are not here.
09:41Where are you going from?
09:42Where are you going from?
09:44It's fear.
09:44Yes, it's fear.
09:45We are not here.
09:47It's all proof.
09:55It's fear, who is more and more.
09:57That is the problem with
09:58It's not meant to not confirm that.
10:00You have to know how to register.
10:06What is the Minh who is
10:07theagonal, this next?
10:08Yes, what do you want?
10:09Yes we should do not register as well.
10:10Yes and then her family money.
10:11What will the�� be?
10:12Why?
10:17What will happen?
10:18This is the child.
10:20That's it.
10:22If there is no name, we will say that it was 2000 or 2000.
10:26There was no name in the 19th century.
10:27That's right.
10:29That's right, Dad.
10:30We've got to approach this.
10:32That's right.
10:34That's right.
10:35I don't have to get into it.
10:37That's right.
10:38That's right.
10:39I have 30 years, 25 years.
10:42How old is your age?
10:43We are 68.
10:4568.
10:46Good years.
10:50You've only traveled in this umber in 400 km.
10:54It's not in the environment.
10:56How do you live here?
10:59How do you live here?
11:01Who?
11:02He says, we're minister.
11:04He says, we'll leave.
11:05He says, we'll leave.
11:08We're going to leave.
11:09Amit Saji says, we're all saying.
11:10Amit Saji says he's saying he's saying he's saying he's saying he's saying.
11:12He's not going in voodalist.
11:14I'll leave him with a quote, we can remove it.
11:17Then, we have to get out of fear.
11:18The one who's is going to leave and can remove it.
11:20The one who's called detect, delete and deport.
11:22He's going to be afraid.
11:24If there wasn't a quote from voodalist, that the one has not come in the New York Times,
11:27we will go and remove it.
11:29That's right.
11:30We will report it from here.
11:34What will we report?
11:36It's all right from the documents.
11:41Do you have any reason?
11:42No reason.
11:44What's your name?
11:46My name is Ahmad Hussain.
11:48And there's no reason?
11:49No reason.
11:50Did you notice in the paper?
11:51No.
11:52Did you just delete it?
11:53No reason.
12:00We filed a petition before the Supreme Court of India.
12:03We called the Korayasa Yasmin versus ECI.
12:06The case number is 462 by 2026.
12:11We have a valid passport, birth certificate, admit card, board certificate.
12:18After that, my name is deleted.
12:20It's deleted from one family.
12:21It's deleted from one family to a number.
12:24The Supreme Court of India has given the direction.
12:26You can take the tribunal to the trial.
12:30It's a specific direction.
12:32We just arrived in the tribunal.
12:34There are no specific order.
12:36We didn't give it into the people.
12:38But a police person who had talked about it.
12:41Then they said they were talking about ACPO.
12:43After ACPO, they clicked on the order.
12:46They sent their officers.
12:48He called me a little later and then we will know what will happen.
12:51Have you called it?
12:53What did you call it?
12:54We sent the order inside.
12:56After seeing the order, we will call if we have to go inside or not.
12:59Do we have to go inside or not?
13:00Yes, after seeing the order.
13:01Do you all know your name?
13:03Yes.
13:04Do you know whose name is your name?
13:05Actually, what is your name in the car?
13:08Where is your car?
13:09My wife.
13:10Sir, ask me.
13:11My wife.
13:12My wife.
13:13Your wife is your name.
13:15She is a medical officer.
13:16He has a medical officer.
13:18He has a medical officer.
13:19His wife and her name is approved in 2002.
13:25Then there is the bottle that has been released.
13:29Then there is also a condition.
13:32He has the passport.
13:35There is legal documents.
13:36There is educational proof.
13:37There is everything.
13:38Is there a link in 2002?
13:40There is a link.
13:41His wife is your link.
13:42All it is.
13:43What is your reason?
13:43What was the reason?
13:44The reason was 6 brothers and above 6.
13:506 people have been linked more.
13:53How many people have been linked to your father's name?
13:57We have 6 brothers and 1 sister.
14:01That's why they have been linked to 7 people.
14:04That's why they have been deleted.
14:06That's why they have been deleted.
14:10Some of them have been deleted.
14:12They have been deleted.
14:12Everyone has even deleted a message.
14:18They have been deleted.
14:20They have deleted a message.
14:23Let them take a further.
14:27We have not deleted that email.
14:28We have added online or online.
14:30The Supreme Court's direction.
14:31They have to give you the reason.
14:33Who's deleted the Eloise in which place.
14:34A judicial officer is deleted.
15:05Transcription by CastingWords
15:06father's daughters and sisters can stay with the father's daughters and sisters.
15:09There is no reason for it. There is no logical thing.
15:13In law, there is no mention in law.
15:15There is no mention on the 6th, a guardian, daughters, sons and sisters.
15:19There is no mention of the daughters.
15:21So, it was just the suspected notices.
15:23After that, it was deleted.
15:25After that, there is no order for us.
15:27We have the first notices through the ERO.
15:30We have applied the notice on that notice.
15:38What do you do?
15:41We have a small house.
15:43We have a small house.
15:44So, the income is left here today?
15:47Of course, the income is left here.
15:49How much income is left here?
15:517-800 is left here.
15:527-800 is left here.
15:55Yes, that is left here.
15:56We have the full documents.
15:59How is your father's name in 1981?
16:03In 1956, the father's name in the hotel list.
16:09In 1956, the father's name in 2002.
16:12In 2002, we have no name in 2002.
16:15We have no name in 2002.
16:15We have the link from the father's name.
16:16But the reason is that 6 people are above.
16:22Where are we from?
16:24We have the 5 people.
16:26We have the full documents.
16:27If you have the full documents,
16:29you have the real documents,
16:31You've permission to follow yourself.
16:32We have thefu of the отпечатations,
16:38here we have the name of the month.
16:39And the name here on the month.
16:45This is the first line,
16:48we have some name here.
16:48we have the name of the file from the file.
16:49the name is correct.
16:50The link is the name of the file,
16:51which appears 6.
16:52We have the name of the file of the file.
16:57We have been in the house, we have been in the work, so I have been in the house and
17:01told me that my wife doesn't have a name.
17:05What is the reason? Why did you cut your name?
17:07He didn't say anything, he didn't say anything.
17:12He didn't say anything.
17:12He told me that if we were to go to the house, we would have to know something.
17:16How did he say that?
17:17He took all the documents, his name is from the house, he called me for the house.
17:24I've come and started.
17:25When did you vote?
17:27When did you vote?
17:28The 29th.
17:29The second, the second, the third.
17:31What do you do?
17:32We are still doing the road, we are still selling vegetables.
17:36Yes, we are selling vegetables with the whole car.
17:38You are going to ask him to call.
17:43When you call, then he will come with you.
17:55So he's a daily wager, pulls a vegetable cart, has left everything because his wife's
18:03name has been deleted.
18:04He was told to come to the appellate tribunal, but as he said, he didn't listen to me.
18:13Now, when are you coming back?
18:16Now, there's a train in the night.
18:18We come back to the train, and come back to this place.
18:20And now, we're back.
18:22We're not getting this list, so it will come back to the train in the night.
18:29Take a number and tell us what happened.
18:32What name is your name?
18:35I'm going to go back.
18:40Are you going to go out?
18:41Yes, I'm going to go out.
18:43It's very cold.
18:44Yes, I'm going to go out in the bus.
18:47We'll get it.
18:48How long?
18:50Are you going to go out in the bus?
18:51No, we'll go out in Shialda.
18:53Yes, we'll go.
18:53Will you get the train?
18:54No, we'll get it.
18:56Will you get the train out?
18:57Yes, we'll get the train out.
18:58It will go out in the bus.
18:58It will go out in the bus.
19:06tamper
19:08to there as well.
19:12There's a lot there.
19:16There's a lot there.
19:24There's a lot there.
19:35Ah, there, Pradeep Cocker and Bonali Cocker.
19:39Mr. Cocker?
19:41Yes.
19:41Hi, Preeti Chaudhary, sir.
19:42Gosh, okay.
19:45Sorry.
19:46I'm going to sit there.
19:50I really hope so.
19:51I hope they do well.
19:53Right.
19:55So, Mr. Cocker, you and your wife, Bonali, both are environmentalists, have been in the
20:00city, fought for civic issues, written multiple books where litigation, everything is concerned
20:06where Kolkata comes into question.
20:09Right.
20:10And the irony runs quite deep that today you don't have your own right to vote.
20:18It's not just irony, I think, it goes beyond that.
20:24And it's something that makes us bitter and it makes us sad to be in a situation where
20:31something that we have taken for granted.
20:33From the time we were adults, we have voted in every single election.
20:38And we had just assumed that if you're here, you're Indian and you're voting is a given.
20:47And now that we realize that we have to prove something, the only thing that I can think
20:56of is that it's like living in a system where you're guilty unless you're proven innocent.
21:03You're saying the onus is on you to prove your...
21:05Yeah.
21:05I thought the system for us was the reverse.
21:09Were you given a reason?
21:10No.
21:11You were not given any reason why your names have been struck off?
21:13Madam, don't worry, your name is...
21:16The BLOK.
21:17Yes.
21:17He came to the house and said, I almost ran all this distance to come and tell you.
21:23He was at that time slightly afraid that we would get in touch.
21:29We don't know people.
21:30Get in touch with people to say why...
21:33Your vote has been cut.
21:35We've sent messages, most of them have not been responded to.
21:41Online does it say anything?
21:42Why you vote?
21:43What is the reason you vote?
21:44Yes.
21:45The screenshot that we have, the last screenshot that we have, this matter is under edification.
21:50Under nothing else.
21:50And we've taken screenshots of that and sent that to the BLO.
21:54No response.
21:55It's just so appalling.
21:59It's just so astounding that I can't believe that we're not going to vote.
22:06I want to say the hell with it.
22:08I don't care.
22:11But Bonani is sort of still got some zeal left and says, no, no, let's fight it.
22:18Let's not give up.
22:19And for me, it's like, you know, how much...
22:23We're quite familiar with the legal system and how it works because...
22:27Clearly, you've got quite a few cases for your city.
22:30Our environmental matters.
22:32Why didn't you get into...
22:33Yeah, for your environmental matters.
22:34Why didn't you get into litigation?
22:35No, we didn't want to go into litigation because we were hoping that something would
22:43turn.
22:43Also, all our litigation has been on public interest matters.
22:48Yes.
22:48And this includes National Green Tribunal, Calcutta High Court, Supreme Court.
22:53We're there even now.
22:55And this is a purely private matter.
22:57So, we thought, you know, if the system at this stage wants to deprive us of our fundamental
23:05right, we'll see.
23:08We'll take that measure when we're ready for it.
23:13And you're not ready for it right now.
23:15You don't...
23:15You're still hoping you'll find your name there?
23:17I still have hope.
23:19You still have hope.
23:21No, you have time till the 27th.
23:23She's an optimist.
23:24You're an optimist.
23:26I never could imagine that I'll be sitting in Hindustan Park and not be able to vote.
23:32I'm sorry.
23:33No, because, you know, I think it means a lot to the both of you and to see both...
23:37Yeah, I am sorry.
23:37I think we should all feel sorry that we have now come to a stage where we seem to be
23:46going
23:46backwards, at least for some of us.
24:10All right, so I think this is the residence of a professor whose name is also been deleted
24:19from the voter list.
24:21A professor who teaches in IAM, Calcutta.
24:25If I'm not wrong, I think that's what it is.
24:30Hi.
24:30Ms. Roy?
24:31Yes.
24:33Preeti, I think we spoke on the phone.
24:37Come.
24:41I'm sorry, are we bothering you?
24:43Have we come in, like, unannounced, which we did speak with you before.
24:48So, I'm sure you're getting a lot of people calling you, asking you.
24:52Yes.
24:52It's been busy, but you are, you know, welcome to Calcutta.
24:57Welcome here.
24:59Would you give me your full name?
25:01My name is Nandita Roy.
25:03I teach at IAM Calcutta.
25:05Before this, I used to teach at IAM Lucknow.
25:07So, after I completed my PhD, I had a brief stint in the corporate.
25:13I worked for National Geographic Channel, but then I moved to academia, and that's what
25:18I do.
25:19I teach and I research, and I enjoy it.
25:22How did you find your name not on the voters list?
25:26You know, I'm one of those people who have always wanted to vote.
25:32Like, when will I get, you know, 18 years old?
25:34First vote.
25:35These are exciting times in my, you know, for younger people.
25:38And I feel very, very disappointed and anxious that I might not be able to vote right now.
25:47Do you hope that your name, because right now the Supreme Court stepped in, there's a
25:50real look, and the tribunal is there.
25:53There are 19 judges who are looking into it.
25:56Yes.
25:57Do you think you'll find your name in the supplementary lists that are coming in?
26:02I would really, really hope for that.
26:05But what worries me is, how will 19 judges in such a short span of time…
26:13Look at 27 lakh names.
26:15Yes.
26:15And I think I heard that there are, as of 14th April, around 34 lakh appeals pending at
26:21the tribunal.
26:22So, it's kind of a voting lottery or something, it seems.
26:26I don't know.
26:28What, according to you, was the idea behind the SIR?
26:32It's an important exercise.
26:34It's a very crucial exercise where, you know, there are so many voters who are, who
26:39have passed away.
26:39True.
26:40Or who have moved outside the country.
26:42So, you believe in the process.
26:43Etc.
26:44The process.
26:45But then, if a process is so important for democracy, it's a very, very crucial process,
26:51what do we do when we do important things?
26:54Yes.
26:55We take time.
26:57Right?
26:58You're a professor.
27:10So, that's right.
27:12So, that the SIR will be done and February 28th was the date of the electoral roll list
27:21will be taken out.
27:22So, November, December, January, February, four months.
27:27For seven and a half crore people.
27:30Yes.
27:31You have received absolutely no reason?
27:33No.
27:34Nothing?
27:35There was no notice that you were given?
27:36Nothing.
27:37And if someone with all my, my privileges, my kind of access with all the documents,
27:44everything that I have.
27:46If someone like me is in this situation, I can't help but think about, you know, 34
27:52lakh other appeals.
27:53I can't think about the people who do not have these accesses, who do not have these
27:57networks.
27:58Yes.
27:59In the last few days, I have checked the epic IDs at the website for many people.
28:06So, people around me, people who live in the neighbour who do not have a laptop or a computer.
28:11And many people, before me checking, were not even aware that they are excluded or deleted.
28:18But they had no idea.
28:18They had no idea.
28:19Tell them they are irrelevant.
28:30Some people who call me stupid…
28:38Sharon was not aware of this.
28:41You cannot see me naked.
28:43저희 women was a mistake.
28:45And elderly people are not ashamed of this.
28:46Everybody, things have happened to me every while talking about this, it's been said to me every
28:48All people, statistics have been seen on ended and we're after discussions.
28:49I didn't allow it. Then I had an advocate with him and I didn't allow it.
28:55The order has been told that Noda Lopis has been talking.
29:01Noda Lopis says that we have an order.
29:04If the documents are correct, the name will be automatically.
29:08If the documents are not correct, he will send a notice later.
29:12Then he will have to take documents.
29:14So you have come from Malda and you will go back?
29:17Yes, we will go back.
29:18We have to go to school and go to school.
29:20Then we have to go to election duty.
29:22Do you think it will happen?
29:24There will be two days of time.
29:25I hope it will happen.
29:27I hope.
29:28We will call you.
29:30We will have a supplementary list.
29:33Okay.
29:47Bye.
29:49Bye.
29:53Bye.
29:54Bye.
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