Asaduddin Challenges MEA Directive Over Passport’s Significance

Hyderabad: In wake of the external affairs minister restating that the passport was a travel document and not proof of citizenship, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi took a swipe at the BJP government at the Centre, noting that there would be “no conclusive proof of citizenship” and that by 2030 only the BJP’s membership card would be the criteria for being an Indian citizen.

Sharing the AI generated image of BJP’s membership card on social media platform X, he stated, according to the government, no document is conclusive proof of citizenship. “If you read the Passports Act,1967, it proceeds on the premise that holders are Indian citizens, it also requires intense police verification,” he noted, challenging the ministry of external affairs directive.

Owaisi who convened a review meeting with party Legislators at Darussalam to analyse the execution of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral roll in Telangana, later briefing media persons, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the way voter verification process was being conducted in Telangana and raised several concerns regarding citizenship documentation.

Owaisi demanded that the Election Commission accept everyday records like PAN cards, ration cards, and driving licences to prevent mass voter exclusion. He questioned why widely accepted official identification files like passports, birth certificates, Aadhaar cards, and Voter IDs are no longer considered conclusive proof of citizenship by the government. He expressed concern that the evolving documentation policies may lead to severe voter disenfranchisement and confusion of the marginalised.