Asaduddin Owaisi defends passport citizenship remarks against G Kishan Reddy

On Saturday, Hyderabad Member of Parliament and AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi defended his remarks regarding passports serving as proof of citizenship, countering allegations from Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy who had called his statements legally incorrect and misleading.

The exchange began after Union Minister Reddy posted on X, claiming that the Hyderabad MP was misleading the public. Reddy argued that the Ministry of External Affairs had previously clarified that passports by themselves are not conclusive proof of citizenship. He stated that citizenship in India is governed by the Constitution and the Citizenship Act of 1955, rather than any single document.

Owaisi countered the Minister's allegations by questioning why passports explicitly print "Nationality: Indian" if they are not considered proof of citizenship. He cited Section 6 of the Passport Act, emphasizing that it is a Central Act which dictates that a passport is not to be given if the applicant is not an Indian citizen.

Owaisi also highlighted the rigorous verification measures already in place for passport applicants. He noted that there is an entire process of mandatory police verification that must be completed before any passport is issued. Additionally, he referenced the Supreme Court of India's stand on passports in its judgment on the SIR to support his position.

The debate also touched upon the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Owaisi questioned whether those who were included in the NRC in Assam would be given certificates.

Owaisi pointed out that ₹1,100 crore of public money was spent on the NRC exercise in Assam, which was monitored by the Supreme Court. He sought to know whether the government would issue certificates to the persons other than the 19 lakh applicants who were excluded from the final register.