A shocking incident has emerged from Purbasthali in East Burdwan, West Bengal, where hundreds of Aadhaar cards were discovered dumped in a pond amid the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Police have recovered the soaked cards and launched an investigation to trace their origin and purpose.

The BJP has demanded a CBI probe, alleging a larger conspiracy involving fake identities and illegal infiltration, accusing the ruling state administration of turning a blind eye to voter fraud.

The discovery has sparked political tension, raising serious questions about data misuse and electoral integrity in the state especially at a time when SIR is going on ahead of West Bengal Assembly Elections. The BJP West Bengal unit also raised the issue on its official social media, implying that the appearance of the cards suggested foul play. A video of the same has gone viral on social media.

Where the Aadhar cards were found?

Sacks full of Aadhaar cards were recovered while removing water hyacinth from ponds on Wednesday, November 5. The incident took place in Lalitpur area of Pila Panchayat in Purbasthali-2 block of Purba Bardhaman district. The recovery of the crucial government document has created a stir.

According to local residents, on Wednesday, the work of cleaning the ponds from Baro Danga intersection to Pila Panchayat was going on in Lalitpur area of Pila Panchayat in Purbasthali-2 block. Suddenly workers spotted a couple of sacks floating in the pond. They got suspicious after seeing the heavy sacks. As soon as they opened a sack, a bunch of Aadhaar cards came out. So far, three sacks of Aadhaar cards have been recovered. Workers suspect that there are more Aadhaar cards in that water body.

On receiving the information, the police of Purbasthali police station reached the spot and seized the recovered Aadhaar cards. Local BJP member Parimal Mistry has demanded an investigation into the incident. However, the police are reluctant to speak on this matter. An official who did not want to be named said that they are investigating the matter.

Who are the owners of these Aadhar cards?

The recovered Aadhar cards bear addresses of people from Hamidpur and Pila areas of Purbasthali said police. Many residents have voiced concern that the discovery of such a large number of Aadhaar cards could undermine the integrity of the ongoing voter list revision. Local authorities have ruled out the possibility of the cards being accidentally discarded, suggesting instead that the incident may have been deliberate.

The discovery has fuelled a political standoff between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP, with the latter linking the discovery to the ongoing SIR process.

Local BJP leader Debabrata Mandal said, “I got the news that while cleaning the garbage of that pond, a sack was found. When workers opened the sack, they saw that the sack was filled with Aadhaar cards. There are more sacks with Aadhaar cards in that pond. It is surprising how so many Aadhaar cards came here at a time when SIR has just started in the state. We have informed our higher leadership about the matter.”

Purbasthali Trinamool Congress MLA Tapan Chatterjee said, “Earlier, some people used to make Aadhaar cards with money. Now that does not happen anymore. These Aadhaar cards seem to be duplicates. Otherwise, why throw them away? I will definitely not throw away my original Aadhaar card.”

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