New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday said by declaring that even a passport does not certify one’s citizenship, the government is laying the groundwork to arbitrarily deny citizenship rights to Indians with whom it disagrees.
Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government had earlier removed the names of people from certain communities from the electoral rolls to suit its political agenda.
“This government excels in creating panic and helplessness among ordinary citizens. By declaring that even a passport doesn’t certify one’s citizenship, they are laying the groundwork to arbitrarily deny citizenship rights to Indians who they disagree with,” Venugopal said in a post on X.
“We are well aware of their clandestine measures to remove names of people from certain communities from the voter rolls, to suit their political agenda. The day is not far when purely out of political vendetta, this fascist regime will strip you of your citizenship — even if you have a passport or any other document proving that you are Indian,” the Congress leader said.
The opposition party’s Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury said the Centre should clarify on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) saying passports are not proof of citizenship.
“Passports are not proof of citizenship: MEA. Then what is? BLO, Please tell, Why does SIR accept a passport as a relevant document for VOTING? Government should stand up and clarify this!” Chowdhury said.
Government sources have maintained that passport was never a proof of citizenship and that no new decision was taken on the document by the current dispensation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last 12 years.
On media reports on the MEA clarifying that a passport is a travel document and not a proof of citizenship, the sources said it was not decided yesterday.
According to the Passport Act, 1967, passports can be given to non-citizens too, they said.
“It was not decided yesterday that the passport is not a proof of citizenship. It was not even decided in the last 12 years. The passport has never been a proof of citizenship,” a source said.
The media reports, quoting MEA officials, said a passport is a travel document and not a proof of citizenship.
It is not a document that establishes citizenship, the reports said.
