The Election Commission (ECI) has issued a notice to former Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd) asking him to appear in a meeting to prove his identity under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. After this notice came out, questions have started being raised on social media and the discussion on this process has intensified.
Admiral Arun Prakash lives in Goa
After retirement, Admiral Arun Prakash is living in Goa. He said that if the SIR forms are not able to capture the necessary information, then changes should be made in them. At the same time, a senior official of the Election Commission said that his name is not recorded in the last voter list updated in the year 2002, hence he has been kept in the ‘unmapped’ category.
Why did Admiral come in ‘unmapped’ category?
District Election Officer of South Goa, Agna Cleetus said that the same situation is being seen in many such cases. He said that Admiral Prakash’s case also belongs to ‘unmapped’ category. He also said that his form will be scrutinized on Monday and the concerned authorities will contact him.
Questions raised on social media
Many people on social media platform ‘X’ questioned that when Admiral Prakash’s Pension Payment Order (PPO) and life certificate are already present in the government records, then what other documents does the SIR team require.
Admiral Prakash is the hero of 1971 war
Admiral Arun Prakash was awarded the Vir Chakra for playing an important role in the India-Pakistan war of 1971. In the ‘hearing notice’ issued under SIR, he has been asked to appear before the returning officer and prove his identity.
Admiral Prakash’s response to the notice
After the online discussion, Admiral Prakash wrote on ‘X’ that he does not need any special facility nor has he ever demanded such. He said that he and his wife had filled the SIR forms on time and were happy to see their names in the Goa Draft Voter List 2026. Despite this, they will follow the notice of the Election Commission.
Question on repeatedly calling elderly couple
In another post, Admiral Prakash said that if there is any deficiency in the SIR form then it should be rectified. He also told that the booth level officer had met him thrice and if needed, information could be obtained there itself. He said that he is 82 and his wife is 78 and they have been called on two different dates, 18 kilometers apart.
Support of former military officers
Retired Lieutenant Colonel T.S. Anand said that this incident might have happened due to a software glitch. He said that in the case of Admiral Prakash, his PPO or Veteran card is enough for identification and as per the rules the SIR team can even visit his house and do the verification.
Accusation of lack of common understanding
Another user wrote that PPO and life certificate are already present in the government system. In such a situation, the SIR team should just look into the system. He called it ‘lack of common understanding’.
