New Delhi:
A day after Ministry of External Affairs clarified that an Indian passport is strictly a travel document and should not be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship, Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday hit back saying its an astonishing logic and the government should clarify on it as passport under the Passport Act is given to bona fide Indian citizens only and therefore it is a proof of Indian citizenship
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the Chhatron ki Goonj press conference here, Gogoi, who is also the Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha said, “I think it is for the MEA to clarify themselves. They should say that has the Government of India issued passports to citizens of foreign countries? As we know passport, as per the Passport Act is given to bona fide Indian citizens only and therefore it is a proof of Indian citizenship but if it is not then they should clarify.”
He then also said that look, this is an astonishing logic.
“What is the Government of India trying to say? That people who are not Indian citizens are also being issued Indian passports by the Government of India? Who issues passports? The Government of India issues passports. And this is such a document that foreign governments also give it importance and recognise it.
“So, is the Ministry of External Affairs trying to say that people who are not Indian citizens are also given passports? A passport is ultimately issued to those who are Indian citizens,” he added.
His remarks came a day after the MEA clarified that an Indian passport is a “travel document” and not a “citizenship document”.
An MEA official while speaking at an event marking the 14th Passport Seva Divas said that “passport is a travel document, and not a document of citizenship and theoretically speaking that distinguishes passport from other documents”.
Even though while travelling abroad, passport attests to your nationality, yet it is not a document of your citizenship.