'AI being used to delete names': Bengal minister Birbaha Hansda slams EC, alleges harassment of people over SIR

An approximate 58 lakh names are set to be deleted from the final electoral rolls of West Bengal, post-SIR. While the Election Commission has concluded the hearings, West Bengal's ruling dispensation has upped its ante several notches against the poll body, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee terming the Election Commission as 'Tughlaqi Commission' in a press conference.

In an exclusive conversation with News Ei Samay, West Bengal Minister of State for Forests, Self Help Groups, and Self Employment, Birbaha Hansda, raised similar concerns surrounding SIR, and even alleged that AI is being employed to delete the names of legitimate voters.

'People forced to stand in queues'

On the SIR exercise in the state, and its probable effects on the upcoming elections, Hansda said, "What the Union government is doing through SIR is not right. People are being compelled to stand in queues every day for some reason or other."

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The Minister pointed out that the same rolls were used to conduct the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which are being scrutinised now. "If the electors who voted in 2024 were legitimate, how did they become illegals all of a sudden?"

Birbaha Hansda blames AI for SIR woes

Birbaha Hansda also talked about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being employed by the Election Commission, and alleged that the technology is being misused to eliminate the names of voters. "A fear of Artificial Intelligence has crept within us." She highlighted how the usage of AI has increased inaccuracies in the SIR process.

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"When we went to the CEO's (Chief Election Officer) office, we put forward issues of names being deleted because of measly reasons like a wrong alphabet in someone's surname, or a spelling mistake in someone's middle name. Eventually, we got to know that this was happening because of AI. The names were recorded flawlessly at first, but the inaccuracies occurred due to AI."

"Because of AI, people are being forced to stand in queues. For example, if your name is Manoj Kumar and then your surname, and suddenly your middle name gets omitted, you will have to appear for a hearing," Hansda added. "People are being harassed, for which they will stand with the Trinamool Congress and Mamata Banerjee in the coming time," the Minister concluded.