Citizens may soon be told that “if you become a member of the BJP, you prove that you are an Indian citizen,” Clyde Crasto said.
On Thursday, the opposition intensified its attack on the Center over the Foreign Ministry’s assertion that the passport is primarily a travel document and not conclusive proof of nationality, questioning what documents Indians can rely on to prove their nationality.
The criticism came even as the government insisted that there was nothing new in its position, and said that the legal understanding of passports and citizenship had existed for decades.
The opposition questions the government’s position
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate questioned the government’s stance and asked what document citizens should handle as proof of citizenship if passports, Aadhaar cards, PAN cards and voter ID cards are deemed insufficient.
“Modi government says passport is not proof of citizenship. Is Indian passport also issued to non-Indians? And do police come to do any verification before issuing passport?”
Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship; A passport is not proof of nationality; PAN is not proof of citizenship; Voter ID is not proof of citizenship. So what is proof of citizenship? Kissing Modi’s feet? BJP identity? RSS cap?” she wrote in a post on X.
Read also | ‘Not decided yesterday’: Govt clarifies MEA’s observations on passport, citizenship, cites 1967 law, Bombay HC ruling
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said the government’s stance is causing confusion. “The direction in which the country seems to be heading raises serious concerns. It increasingly appears that in the coming days, BJP membership could become synonymous with citizenship. This is the impression many people are getting,” news agency PTI quoted him as saying.
Referring to the provisions of the Passport Act, Owaisi added: “Look at Section 6 (2) (a) of the Passport Act. It states that only an Indian citizen can be issued a passport. If the person is not a citizen, then a passport cannot be granted. So, what are people supposed to understand from this situation?… These are the concerns that citizens are raising, and they deserve clear answers.”
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesperson Sharadchandra Pawar, Clyde Crasto, also sought clarification from the government.
“The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, is now going on to say that your passport is just a travel document and not proof of Indian citizenship. Earlier, they said Aadhar card is not proof of citizenship, voter ID card is not proof of citizenship, and many of these government documents are not proof of Indian citizenship; so what proves that you are an Indian citizen is what the government needs to tell us.”
He added, “The BJP-led government at the Center comes out with clauses that suit them all the time. Don’t be surprised if tomorrow the government comes out with a clause that says if you become a member of the BJP, you prove that you are an Indian citizen,” PTI reported.
Trinamool Congress MP Sujata Roy also disagreed with MEA’s stance, saying: “This is for the government to determine. There are other proofs of citizenship. For example, the Aadhaar card is there. So MEA should tell us what is valid and what is not. I don’t agree with this,” PTI reported.
The Center issues a clarification
In response to the criticism, the government said that the controversy stemmed from a misunderstanding of an established legal position.
“It was not decided yesterday that a passport is not proof of nationality. No decision has been made even in the past 12 years,” a government official said, adding that this situation has existed for decades.
This clarification came a day after the Middle East Airlines, during a press conference on the Seva Divas Passport, announced that the passport is primarily a travel document and should not be treated as conclusive proof of nationality. These statements sparked criticism from opposition leaders and sparked wider controversy on the Internet.
The government cites the law and court rulings
In defending its position, the government pointed to legal rulings and court rulings that it said made clear that passports had never been treated as definitive proof of nationality.
Read also | Amid the MEA passport statement row, what constitutes proof of citizenship in India?
“A passport has never been a proof of citizenship. The Passport Act, 1967 stipulates that passports can be issued to non-citizens. The 2013 Bombay High Court rulings have made it clear that a passport is not a proof of citizenship,” an official said.
The Middle East News Agency also referred to Article 20 of the Passports Law of 1967, which allows the Center to issue passports or travel documents to non-citizens in specified circumstances if it deems such a step to be in the public interest, news agency ANI reported.
Under this clause, the government may issue a passport or travel document to a “person who is not an Indian citizen” if it deems it necessary to do so in the public interest.
