Javed Akhtar The Ministry of External Affairs criticized the passport as a travel document and not proof of citizenship. The veteran writer and songwriter called the position absurd and questioned how authorities distinguish genuine citizens from illegal immigrants.
Javed Akhtar’s sharp response to MEA
The controversy arose on the occasion of the 14th Passport Seva Day, when the MEA said passports are essentially travel documents issued to facilitate international travel and do not in themselves establish citizenship. The statement sparked a heated debate on social media, especially since passports in India are issued exclusively to Indian citizens.The 81-year-old approached X to question the reasoning behind the ministry’s stance. He wrote, “The Ministry of External Affairs has said that a passport is a travel document, not a proof of citizenship. Really??? So are they issuing travel documents to some people without fully confirming that the person is an Indian citizen? It’s absurd.”Like documents that are indicated when another user AdhaarVoter ID, and PAN cards are also not considered as proof of citizenship, Akhtar doubled down. He retorted, “Who in the system is giving such unconditional support to these illegal immigrants. In such an undesirable situation, how will they distinguish between fake and genuine citizens without the will of some petty officials.”
What counts as proof of citizenship in India?
The controversy has brought renewed attention to the question of what constitutes conclusive proof of Indian citizenship. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court, while hearing a special intensive revision of the electoral roll, clarified that Aadhaar is not conclusive proof of citizenship and serves only as a document of identity. A voter ID card, similarly, is considered an identity and residence document rather than a citizenship document.Under the Indian Citizenship Act, a person born in the country on or after January 26, 1950, but before July 1, 1987, is a citizen by birth. For those born after July 1987, citizenship by birth applies if at least one parent is an Indian citizen. For those born on or after December 3, 2004, both parents must be Indian citizens, or one parent must be a citizen and the other must not be an illegal immigrant at birth.
