West Bengal: Man Gets Voter ID Card With Dog's Photo Instead Of His Own

In a bizarre incident, a resident of Ramnagar village in West Bengal's Murshidabad was issued a voter ID card with dog's photo on it.

Sunil Karmakar on March 4 said that he had applied for a correction in his voter ID card and the revised card that he received had a dog's photo instead of his own.

He said that he was called at Dulal Smriti School and his voter ID card was given to him. "The officer there signed and gave it to me but he didn't see the photo," Karmakar said, adding that they are playing with his "dignity".

He said he will go to the Block Development Officer (BDO) and request that this should not happen again.

However, Rajarshi Chakraborty, BDO, referring to the incident said that it was a mistake and the voter ID card will be corrected.

He said that this issued voter ID card is not the final voter ID card and will receive a corrected one. Pointing at the dog's photo he said someone while filling online application might have added it.

"The photo has already been corrected. He'll get the final ID card with the correct photo," he added.

The Logical Indian Take

The Indian voter ID card is an identity document issued by the Election Commission of India. It is an important identity proof for Indian citizens which allows them to cast their vote. An image of a dog instead of the card bearer is not only shocking but points at the lackadaisical attitude of the government officials involved in the making of the card.

At a time when proving the citizenship has become the bone of contention, a blunder like this is inadmissible.

Also Read: Voter Identification Card Sufficient Enough To Prove Your Citizenship: Mumbai Court