Shami, brother summoned for SIR hearing in Kolkata: Report
What's the story
Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami has been summoned for an SIR verification hearing in Kolkata. The hearing was initially scheduled for Monday at a school in Jadavpur, but Shami couldn't attend as he was in Rajkot playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Bengal, according to a report by PTI. His brother, Mohammed Kaif, was also called for the same hearing.
New dates
Hearing rescheduled for January 9-11
Shami has now requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to reschedule his hearing. The cricketer's hearing has been postponed, and he has been asked to appear between January 9 and 11. The cricketer is a voter in Kolkata Municipal Corporation's ward 93 under the Rashbehari constituency. An official from the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer's office said Shami and Kaif were called for the hearing due to incorrect details on their Enumeration Form.
Career path
Shami's cricketing journey from UP to Bengal
Shami hails from Uttar Pradesh and has been living in Kolkata for many years. He moved to the city at a young age and was mentored by former Bengal Ranji captain Sambaran Bandyopadhyay. The SIR exercise has created a massive controversy in Bengal and received flak from the ruling TMC ahead of the elections to the upcoming 294-member assembly.
SIR opposition
CM Mamata Banerjee criticizes exercise
On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged, "Over 58 lakh names have already been deleted in the draft voters' list, without allowing them to submit the necessary forms under the exercise. All these names were deleted through the use of Artificial Intelligence." According to information provided by the ECI, over 58 lakh voters were deleted in the state's draft voter list due to death, relocation, duplication, missing information, and other reasons.