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EYE ON INDIA JULY 03, 2026 | The Indian Eye 8

Passport, Citizenship Debate

Sparks Political Confusion

The Centre says a passport has never been conclusive proof of citizenship, but the clarification has

triggered sharp political questions over how Indians establish their nationality.

OUR BUREAU cism from AIMIM president Asa-
duddin Owaisi, who accused the
New Delhi
government of creating uncertainty
he Central government’s clar- over the citizenship status of ordi-
ification that an Indian pass- nary Indians.
Tport is not, by itself, proof of Speaking in Hyderabad, Owaisi
citizenship has ignited a fresh po- questioned why citizens born in In-
litical controversy, with opposition dia should now face doubts regard-
leaders accusing the Centre of creat- ing their nationality. “I am by birth
ing uncertainty over one of the most and by choice, an Indian citizen. My
fundamental aspects of citizenship, generations and my grandfather’s
while the government insists it has grandfather was born over here. I
merely reiterated a long-established feel that the government wants to re-
legal position. tain the control to randomly ask any
The debate began after the person, are you an Indian?” he said.
Ministry of External Affairs Owaisi also disputed the gov-
(MEA), during a detailed me- ernment’s interpretation of the Pass-
dia briefing, stated that an Indian ports Act, arguing that passports
passport is primarily a travel doc- are issued only after detailed police
ument and should not be treated verification and therefore carry sig-
as definitive proof of citizenship. A passport is internationally accepted as a travel document issued by a sovereign state, but in nificant evidentiary value regarding
The remarks immediately citizenship.
prompted criticism from opposition Indian law it has never been treated as the sole determinant of citizenship (ANI file photo) “If you read the Passport Act
leaders, who questioned what docu- 1967, it clearly says that a passport is
ments ordinary citizens should rely questioned the government’s mes- settled legal position,” Malviya wrote not given to a non-Indian citizen and
upon to establish their nationality. saging, asking what document or- on X. a passport is given only after a thor-
Seeking to quell the controversy, dinary Indians should now treat as He noted that citizenship in In- ough police verification,” he said.
the government clarified on Thurs- proof of citizenship. In a post on X, dia flows from the Constitution and The controversy has revived
day that it had neither introduced a Sibal wrote: “MEA June 24, 2026: the Citizenship Act, 1955, rather memories of earlier nationwide de-
new policy nor altered existing law. ‘A passport is a travel document, than from possession of any single bates over citizenship documenta-
According to the Centre, a and not a document of citizenship.’ government-issued document. tion during discussions surrounding
passport has never been regarded Which document then is proof of cit- According to Malviya, Indian the Citizenship Amendment Act
as conclusive proof of citizenship, izenship? BLO can doubt my citizen- courts have consistently held that cit- (CAA) and the proposed National
either recently or during the past ship. Deprive me of my vote. Result izenship is determined through eligi- Register of Citizens (NRC).
12 years. The government pointed BJP wins the election. Over to Su- bility under the Citizenship Act and a Although the present clarifica-
to Section 20 of the Passports Act, preme Court!” range of supporting evidence rather tion relates specifically to the legal
1967, which expressly allows the His comments reflected con- than a single document. status of passports under the Pass-
Central Government, in exceptional cerns among opposition leaders that He said records such as birth ports Act, opposition parties fear it
cases and in the public interest, to uncertainty over citizenship docu- certificates, parents’ citizenship re- could fuel broader uncertainty over
issue a passport or travel document mentation could eventually affect cords where applicable, school cer- documentation requirements.
to a person who is not an Indian electoral rolls or voter rights, al- tificates, electoral rolls, government Legal experts have long distin-
citizen. It also cited a 2013 Bombay though the government has made no service records, land and residence guished between proof of identity,
High Court judgment holding that announcement suggesting any such documents and passports together proof of nationality and proof of cit-
possession of a passport does not, change. may help establish citizenship. izenship. A passport is internation-
by itself, establish citizenship. The Bharatiya Janata Party re- “A passport is an important ally accepted as a travel document
The clarification emphasized jected suggestions that the MEA’s identity and travel document. It is issued by a sovereign state, but in In-
that the legal position has remained statement represented a policy shift. evidence that may support a claim dian law it has never been treated as
unchanged for decades and is rooted BJP IT Department head Amit of citizenship. But citizenship itself the sole determinant of citizenship.
both in statute and judicial interpre- Malviya argued that the Ministry had flows from the Constitution and the Courts have consistently held that
tation.Nevertheless, the statement simply restated a settled legal prin- Citizenship Act, not from the posses- citizenship questions must be decid-
quickly snowballed into a wider po- ciple already recognised by courts. sion of any single government-issued ed under the Citizenship Act using
litical debate. “The MEA has not announced a document,” he wrote. all relevant evidence rather than re-
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal new policy. It has merely reiterated a The issue has also drawn criti- lying exclusively on one document.

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