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EC using ‘very restrictive’ software tools unable to fathom ‘natural differences’, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday (February 9, 2026) said the Election Commission (EC) is using “very restrictive” software tools, at least in the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, with scant tolerance for “natural” differences and inconsistencies commonly found in India, including Bengali households.

“Tools applied by you in your software appear to be very restrictive tools. They are eliminating natural differences. Surnames are of various forms — ‘Roy’, ‘Ray’… There is a common practice of ‘Kumar’ being a middle name in Bengali households. Now, if there is an omission of ‘Kumar’, notice is given?” Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked the EC’s counsel, senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu.

The exchange came before the Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, asked the EC to extend the deadline for the claims-and-objections phase of the West Bengal SIR for a week beyond the current deadline of February 14.

The Bench further directed the State’s Director General of Police to file a personal affidavit, responding to allegations of orchestrated violence and burning of documents at SIR verification centres.