‘SIR Fear’ Claims Another Life; TMC Dubs It ‘Cold-Blooded Murder’

MP | Nov 4, 2025 | Kolkata: In Hooghly’s Dankuni Municipality (Ward 20), shock and fear gripped residents on Monday after 60-year-old Hasina Begum collapsed and died of a heart attack soon after discovering that her name was missing from the 2002 electoral rolls amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Her sudden death, reportedly triggered by panic over being branded a non-citizen, sent ripples of anxiety through the neighborhood, once again exposing the human cost and administrative lapses surrounding the controversial exercise.

This allegedly marks the fifth death in recent days linked to fears of voter purge under the ongoing SIR process.

The TMC condemned the incident, accusing the BJP-led Centre and the Election Commission of India of orchestrating the SIR exercise as a “weapon to detect, delete, and deport voters who don’t toe the line.” On its official social-media handle, mentioning the incident, the party said:

“This is the SUFFOCATING TERROR BJP has engineered. Bengal’s blood stains your hand, Mr. Prime Minister. This is COLD-BLOODED MURDER.”

The party added: “This tragic death comes amid mounting concern from the TMC that the SIR — which uses the 2002 roll as a cut-off — is fueling anxiety among older voters, migrant workers, and minority communities.”

The party claims this is not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of fear-driven consequences. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, through a video message posted on TMC’s official X-handle, stated:

“We strongly oppose the panic being created over this process by the BJP and National Election Commission, influenced by it.”

Hasina Begum, who had earlier lived in Ward 13, had moved to Ward 20 to stay with her daughter due to age-related ailments. According to her family, she attended a meeting on the SIR process in the area and became extremely distressed after learning that her name was missing from the 2002 voter list.

Dankuni Municipality chairperson, Hasina Shabnam, reportedly said:

“She was deeply anxious about the SIR process. In fact, many residents in this area are under considerable stress over it.”