Hans News Service Bengaluru

Bengalurudistrict election officials have dismissed reports claiming that Bharat Ratna awardee and renowned scientist Prof. C N R Rao was issued a notice over a discrepancy in his name in the electoral roll.

Officials termed the report “completely false” and clarified that no notice of any kind had been served on Prof. Rao or his family in connection with the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. As part of the revision exercise, election officials personally visited Prof.

Rao’s residence and handed over the enumeration form to his family. The form was filled in during the visit in the presence of the state SVEEP nodal officer and the Bengaluru West municipal commissioner, officials said.

The clarification followed questions over differences in Prof. Rao’s name in electoral records. Officials said his name had appeared as “Rama” in the 2002 electoral roll, while the current electoral records carry his name as “Professor C.N.R. Rao M”. The discrepancy prompted Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to verify the details as part of the routine electoral roll revision process.

Officials said the verification was not accompanied by any notice or summons. Instead, the BLO recommended that Prof. Rao’s name be retained in the electoral roll without issuing a notice. His name has already been included in the draft electoral roll, and the necessary process has been completed to ensure that it remains in the final electoral roll, the authorities said.

The Bengaluru election officials reiterated that the visit to Prof. Rao’s residence was only to facilitate the enumeration process and verify electoral details in view of the discrepancy in historical records.They said the claim that a notice had been issued to the eminent scientist was contrary to the facts and sought to put the record straight regarding the SIR exercise.