Former diplomat raises concerns over SIR in Punjab over 'mismatch' notice

Navdeep Suri, a former Indian diplomat who served as Ambassador to the UAE and Egypt and High Commissioner to Australia, has expressed concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Punjab. On August 23, 2026, Suri took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his experience with the SIR process. He mentioned that he visited a booth-level officer (BLO) and submitted his Voter ID and Aadhaar card, only to receive a notice stating that some details did not match the SIR from the year 2003.

Suri claimed that he then provided unspecified documents proving his citizenship, but was asked for his passport as proof. He questioned the fairness of the process for common citizens who may face similar issues, especially after serving in diplomatic capacities in various countries. Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Anindita Mitra responded to Suri's concerns, stating that his name was not removed from the electoral roll as it is part of the draft electoral roll published on August 13.

Mitra assured that after submitting the necessary documents, Suri's name was reinstated, and his vote registration remains in Amritsar.