Ex-diplomat Navdeep Suri flags citizenship trouble in Punjab SIR

Former Indian diplomat Navdeep Suri has said he faced difficulty proving his citizenship during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Punjab, despite having served as India's high commissioner to Australia and ambassador to the UAE and Egypt. Suri said on social media that he submitted his voter ID and Aadhaar card to a booth level officer but was later told some details did not match records from 2003. He was asked to collect a notice and provide unspecified documents to establish his citizenship.

Suri said he explained he was not in India in 2003 and was asked to produce his passport. He said he had other documents but questioned what would happen to ordinary citizens facing similar checks. The SIR process, launched in Bihar in June 2025 and now in its third phase across 16 states, aims to update electoral rolls by linking voters to legacy rolls from 2002 or 2003. The Supreme Court has upheld the exercise but said the Election Commission cannot decide citizenship under it.