"They are calling everyone... we have no choice but to appear": Mehtab Hossain on SIR summon in West Bengal

Explaining the possible reason behind the summons, the former midfielder said the issue may be linked to a discrepancy in names in the voter records. "My mother's name was present in the 2002 voter list, but our title is Hossain, and her name had Begum written because that was her real name. We have changed that to Noorjahan Begum Hossain. I think that's why I have been called," he said.

Former Indian footballer Mehtab Hossain has said he will comply with the Election Commission's summons issued under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, stating that he has nothing to hide and will submit all required documents. "They are calling everyone; celebrities bigger than me have been called. I will provide every document and proof which is needed for the process," Hossain told ANI, reacting to the notice directing him to appear for a hearing on February 1.

Explaining the possible reason behind the summons, the former midfielder said the issue may be linked to a discrepancy in names in the voter records. "My mother's name was present in the 2002 voter list, but our title is Hossain, and her name had Begum written because that was her real name. We have changed that to Noorjahan Begum Hossain. I think that's why I have been called," he said. Hossain, who represented India internationally and played for top clubs including East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, also expressed concern about how the SIR exercise is being conducted. "We don't have any choice but to appear. I think there should have been more planning. Correction happens everywhere, and people will benefit from that, but planning is the problem. It all happened very suddenly," he said.

Pointing to the scale of the exercise, Hossain added that a phased approach would have been more effective. "West Bengal has a big population, and doing zone-wise SIR for six to seven months more would have been better. Perhaps it's because of the vote (elections). I don't know the exact reason, but we have to appear because we are called," he concluded. Hossain is among several prominent sportspersons who have received notices under the SIR process. Earlier, women's cricketer Jhulan Goswami and cricketers Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Mohammad Shami were also summoned and subsequently appeared for hearings.

The notices have sparked strong criticism from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has questioned the motives behind the SIR process, especially targeting celebrated sportspersons. In a post on X, the ruling party argued that the summons to Mehtab Hossain and other sportspersons was "the true depth of BJP's paranoia."

"Sportspersons who wore India on their chest, carried the Tricolour across stadiums, and made the nation proud are now being dragged to SIR hearings to 'prove' who they are. This is the true depth of @BJP4India's paranoia," the post read. Highlighting Hossain's achievements, the TMC wrote, "After Mohammed Shami and Laxmi Ratan Shukla, former India footballer Mehtab Hossain, a man with 33 international caps, who played for East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, whose only identity has always been India, is now being summoned over spelling errors."The party continued its attack against the SIR exercise, describing it as a "harassment driven by the BJP's desperation and enabled by the EC."

"When even athletes who have represented the nation on the global stage are not spared, it is obvious this SIR is not about electoral rolls, but about harassment, driven by @BJP4India's desperation and enabled by a captured Election Commission," the post concluded. The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has repeatedly voiced opposition to the SIR process in West Bengal. (ANI)

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