Kolkata: A controversy has resurfaced in West Bengal after the name of Shahidullah Munshi, a retired Calcutta High Court judge and chairman of the West Bengal Waqf Board, was reportedly removed from a supplementary voter list released after scrutiny.
West Bengal is set to vote for its 294 Assembly constituencies in two phases on April 23 and April 29. As part of the election process, a special intensive revision of the electoral rolls began in November last year.
The final voter list published on February 28 stated that 63.66 lakh names had been removed, drawing strong objections from the ruling Trinamool government. Officials also indicated that more than 60.66 lakh voters were placed under scrutiny, with eligibility being decided through verification by judicial officers.
A first supplementary list of those under review was released recently, in which Munshi’s name was found deleted. Munshi said he appeared in person for the verification and submitted his passport, and was willing to provide Aadhaar and PAN, but did not receive any acknowledgement.
He said only his name had been removed while his wife’s and son’s names remain under consideration, calling the move humiliating and akin to harassment. Munshi said he would approach the appellate tribunal to challenge the deletion and seek clarity on the grounds for the decision.
