24 August,2026 11:16 AM IST | Chennai | mid-day online correspondent
p chidambaram. File pic
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P Chidambaram has criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the exercise could leave a large number of citizens without the right to vote.
Chidambaram's comments came after former Indian diplomat Navdeep Suri shared his experience with the SIR process in Punjab and questioned the difficulties faced by ordinary citizens.
In a post on X, Chidambaram referred to Suri's experience and claimed that around 10 per cent of India's adult population could ultimately retain citizenship but lose voting rights after the revision process.
He described this as the creation of a new category of "non-voting citizens" and estimated that the number could be close to 10 crore people.
The Congress leader's comments were based on what he described as the outcomes of the SIR process so far.
Suri, who previously served as India's Ambassador to Egypt and the UAE and High Commissioner to Australia, had earlier posted about his experience during the SIR exercise in Punjab.
According to Suri, he submitted his Voter ID and Aadhaar card to a Booth Level Officer (BLO) and was initially told that everything was in order.
He later received a message saying that some of his details did not match the 2003 electoral rolls, which are being used as part of the verification process.
Suri explained that he had been posted in London at the time and therefore had not participated in that electoral roll revision.
He said officials subsequently asked him to provide his passport as proof of citizenship and asked him to collect a notice.
The Punjab Chief Electoral Officer has sought to reassure voters receiving notices during the SIR process.
The CEO said that receiving a notice does not mean voters should be concerned and advised them to check their details, provide the required documents and complete the verification process.
The draft electoral roll for Punjab was published on August 13.
The state is now in the second phase of the SIR, during which voters can review the draft rolls and submit claims and objections.
The revision process and the documentation required for verification have become a point of political debate, with opposition leaders raising concerns about potential exclusion while election authorities have maintained that the exercise is intended to verify electoral records.
(With inputs from ANI)
