Kolkata: Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen was reportedly issued a notice by the Election Commission in connection with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress claimed on Tuesday, amid its escalating confrontation with the poll body over the exercise.

The claim was made by Trinamool Congress MP and National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee during a public rally in Birbhum district, which is also the home district of the economist. Banerjee alleged that Amartya Sen had been summoned for a hearing as part of the SIR process.

However, moments after the claim, sources in the Election Commission clarified that no hearing is required. According to the sources, a computer-generated notice was triggered due to a spelling discrepancy in the enumeration form. The Commission has since directed the concerned Booth Level Officer (BLO) to rectify the error.

Sources associated with Amartya Sen’s trust told NDTV that no notice related to the SIR exercise has been received at his residence in Bolpur so far.

Amartya Sen is enrolled as a voter in Shantiniketan, the town founded by Rabindranath Tagore. He last cast his vote in 2014 and continues to hold a valid voter identity card.

At the rally, Banerjee strongly criticised the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of selectively targeting residents of West Bengal through the SIR exercise. He also claimed that Trinamool Congress MP and actor Dev, cricketer Mohammed Shami and Amartya Sen had been issued notices as part of the revision process.

Earlier in the day, the Trinamool Congress approached the Supreme Court seeking action against the Election Commission, alleging that the SIR exercise was being conducted in an unorganised, non-transparent and arbitrary manner.