Woman dies by suicide amid West Bengal voter list purge, family blames SIR
A woman's suicide in West Bengal, attributed to fear of voter list delisting during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), has sparked a major political controversy.
New Delhi: A tragic incident has cast a dark shadow over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in West Bengal, with a 40-year-old woman allegedly dying by suicide, her family attributing her despair to acute mental stress induced by the aggressive exercise.
Mustara Khatun Kazi, who was unmarried and lived alone, reportedly set herself ablaze on Friday night. Police sources confirmed her death by suicide. Kazi, whose name appeared on the 2022 voter list, was allegedly gripped by an intense fear of being delisted. Her family claims the fear caused her severe anxiety and ultimately led to the tragic act.
Her cousin, Kazi Sabirul Islam, did not mince words, telling reporters, "She was under the fear of the SIR. I would like to hold the central government responsible for her death."
The incident has quickly ignited a fresh political firestorm. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sayoni Ghosh visited Kazi's grieving family in Purba Bardhaman district on Saturday night. Echoing the family's sentiments, she directly held the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accountable for the death.
This tragedy comes amid broader claims by the TMC that the SIR exercise in West Bengal has already claimed approximately 40 lives in the past month alone. These fatalities include four Block Level Officers (BLOs) who were on the frontline of the door-to-door verification process.
The first stage of the three-level SIR exercise in Bengal is nearing its conclusion. The Election Commission (EC) has reported identifying a significant 18.70 lakh deceased voters still present in the current voter list as of November 29 evening, highlighting the scale of the cleanup operation.
However, the Trinamool Congress has been a staunch opponent of the SIR, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee famously coining the term "votebandi" (a play on "notebandi" or demonetisation) to describe the exercise. She asserted her unwavering commitment to protect voters' rights "even if it meant her throat getting slashed" in protest.