BOLPUR/KOLKATA: An SIR notice summoning Nobel laureate Amartya Sen to a hearing over a discrepancy that Election Commission has since identified as a “spelling error” led Trinamool Congress to claim on Tuesday that it was an “affront to Bengal and an icon who brought global recognition to India”.EC clarified that Sen needn’t report at the designated office in Birbhum district’s Bolpur to get the error rectified. A BLO will visit Pratichi, the Harvard economist’s ancestral residence in Santiniketan, to do the needful, it said.MP and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, whose party has flagged multiple alleged anomalies in the ongoing SIR exercise, said the notice served on Sen reflected how “influential voices in Bengal” were being “systematically targeted”.”This is not an isolated insult. Actor Dev and cricketer Mohammed Shami were also served notices. As if achievement, integrity and dignity mean nothing any more,” he said at a public event in Birbhum. “Nobel laureate Amartya Sen carried India’s intellect and values onto the world stage. Today, even a public figure of his stature stands humiliated by BJP-controlled EC.”Abhishek urged the state’s electorate to “drive out forever BJP agents who want to unmap the people of Bengal”.District officials said Amita Sen, the Nobel laureate’s late mother, was on the electoral rolls during the 2002 SIR in Bengal. Sen, who has spent much of his life abroad, registered as a voter in Bengal in 2014 and voted in Lok Sabha election that year.When the current SIR process in the state began on Nov 4, an SIR enumeration form was issued in Sen’s name. His cousin Santabhanu Sen submitted the filled-in form to the BLO. “We are still to receive the hard copy of the notice that we hear has been generated. The caretaker (of Pratichi) informs me about any mail that is delivered there,” Santabhanu told TOI.About the AuthorTamaghna BanerjeeTamaghna Banerjee, a reporter from Kolkata, covers crime, aviation, human rights and politics. He has a keen interest in human interest and rural reporting. He has done his postgraduation in journalism and mass communication. He has a total of 14 years in journalism.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos”BJP People Are Mute” Owaisi Targets PM Modi Over Trump’s ‘Make Me Happy’ RemarkBMC Becomes Mega Battleground As Thackerays Reunite And Alliances Shift Ahead Of Civic Wars 2026Deepam row: Piyush Goyal Accuses MK Stalin Govt Of Targeting Hindu TraditionsDonald Trump, Venezuela And India: Prithviraj Chavan’s Remark On PM Modi Kidnapping Sparks Row’Hindus Will Not Be Allowed To Stay’: BNP Candidate’s Threat Sparks Alarm Amid Bangladesh KillingsNepal Imposes Curfew In Birgunj Near India Border After Social Media Sparks Religious TensionsHyderabad Techie Murdered In US: Father Denies Love Angle, Seeks Justice Across BordersIndia Speeds Up Chenab Hydropower Projects, Redrawing Indus Rivers Water Control Lines For PakistanPolitical War Erupts After JNU Slogans Target PM Modi Following Umar Khalid Bail Rejection VerdictUS Senator Claims India Cut Russian Oil Buys And Sought Trump Tariff Relief Amid Pressure Bid On Oil123PhotostoriesBirthday special: Bipasha Basu’s best movies to watch on OTTChef Sanjeev Kapoor shares 14 kitchen tips that make life easierHow to make Anda Paratha for breakfastJiya Shankar and her love for ethnic wear: Surreal looks in sarees, lehengas, and more12 railway stations and the foods they are famous forFull list of the winners of ‘MasterChef India’: From Pankaj Bhadouria to Mohammed Ashiq5 simple neck exercises to ease stiffness and restore mobilityWhere will you be this Makar Sankranti? 5 best destinations in India to witness the festivalFrom opening up about losing a leg in a tragic accident to being unemployed for 7 years after Naache Mayuri: When Sudha Chandran spoke about life, parent’s support and career7 must-read fantasy novels that transport you to magical worlds123Hot PicksBudget 2026Vande Bharat Sleeper TrainPublic holidays January 2026Gold rate todayUS Visa BondsCigarette tax hikeBank Holidays JanuaryTop TrendingSan Francisco 49ersPaige Bueckers vs Sophie Cunningham Net WorthWho is Lenny DykstraYouTube Ad Changes In VietnamWayne GretzkyKliff KingsburyKevin StefanskiChicago Bulls vs Boston CelticsTaylor SwiftWho is Kris Humphries
BOLPUR/KOLKATA: An SIR notice summoning Nobel laureate Amartya Sen to a hearing over a discrepancy that Election Commission has since identified as a “spelling error” led Trinamool Congress to claim on Tuesday that it was an “affront to Bengal and an icon who brought global recognition to India”.EC clarified that Sen needn’t report at the designated office in Birbhum district’s Bolpur to get the error rectified. A BLO will visit Pratichi, the Harvard economist’s ancestral residence in Santiniketan, to do the needful, it said.MP and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, whose party has flagged multiple alleged anomalies in the ongoing SIR exercise, said the notice served on Sen reflected how “influential voices in Bengal” were being “systematically targeted”.“This is not an isolated insult. Actor Dev and cricketer Mohammed Shami were also served notices. As if achievement, integrity and dignity mean nothing any more,” he said at a public event in Birbhum. “Nobel laureate Amartya Sen carried India’s intellect and values onto the world stage. Today, even a public figure of his stature stands humiliated by BJP-controlled EC.”Abhishek urged the state’s electorate to “drive out forever BJP agents who want to unmap the people of Bengal”.District officials said Amita Sen, the Nobel laureate’s late mother, was on the electoral rolls during the 2002 SIR in Bengal. Sen, who has spent much of his life abroad, registered as a voter in Bengal in 2014 and voted in Lok Sabha election that year.When the current SIR process in the state began on Nov 4, an SIR enumeration form was issued in Sen’s name. His cousin Santabhanu Sen submitted the filled-in form to the BLO. “We are still to receive the hard copy of the notice that we hear has been generated. The caretaker (of Pratichi) informs me about any mail that is delivered there,” Santabhanu told TOI.
