Delhi HC issues notice to Centre on Ashok Swain’s plea over cancellation of the OCI card

Ashok Swain, a professor at a university in Sweden, filed a petition on Monday challenging the cancellation of his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, and the Delhi High Court on Monday served notice to the Centre. The matter has been scheduled for November 9 by the High Court. The central government was instructed by Justice Subramonium Prasad to submit a response in four weeks. Swain, a professor of peace and conflict studies at Uppsala University in Sweden, has appealed the Centre’s recent order to revoke his OCI card, which was issued on July 30.

On July 10, the Delhi High Court overturned the Centre’s earlier decision to revoke Swain’s OCI card. Swain argued in his appeal that his opinions on the current administration’s policies could not be used as grounds for “witch hunting.” Justice Subramonium Prasad had previously overturned the Centre’s decision to revoke Swain’s OCI card.

The petitioner had previously stated in his plea that the OCI card had been revoked in February 2022 due to his views that were critical of the government, despite the fact that he had not made any inflammatory remarks. The petitioner claimed he had never made inflammatory remarks or taken part in anti-Indian activities. His job as a professor entails discussing governmental policy through his work.