‘Represented India Abroad, Yet Asked To Prove Citizenship’: Ex-Envoy On SIR Exercise

Former Indian ambassador Navdeep Suri has shared his experience with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Punjab, raising questions over the documentation being sought from citizens to establish their eligibility.

Suri said he visited the Booth Level Officer (BLO) and submitted his Voter ID and Aadhaar card. According to him, he was initially assured that everything was in order.

However, he later received a message from a volunteer saying that some of his details did not match the records from the 2003 SIR.

Asked To Provide Proof Of Indian Citizenship

Suri said he contacted the BLO and was told to come and collect a notice, and subsequently return with unspecified documents proving that he was an Indian citizen.

He said he informed the official that he was not in India in 2003, following which he was asked to provide his passport as proof.

Suri, who has served as India's ambassador to the UAE and Egypt and as High Commissioner to Australia, said he had documents beyond his Voter ID and Aadhaar to establish his identity and citizenship.

‘What’s The Fate Of The Common Citizen?’

Sharing his experience on social media, Suri questioned what the verification process could mean for ordinary citizens who may not have access to extensive documentation.

He said that if someone who had represented India diplomatically in three countries could face difficulty establishing his citizenship during the exercise, it raised questions about the situation of common citizens.

Suri ended his post with a pointed reference to the government's stated focus on “Ease of Living”, while tagging the Election Commission of India.

His remarks come amid the ongoing SIR exercise and discussions over the documents required from voters during the verification process.