Kishan Reddy hits out at Owaisi over passport-citizenship row

Hyderabad: Union coal minister G. Kishan Reddy on Friday accused Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi of misleading people on the legal distinction between passports and citizenship, saying the AIMIM chief was either ignorant of the law or deliberately creating confusion for political gain.Responding to Owaisi’s criticism of the Centre, Kishan Reddy said the ministry of external affairs had merely clarified that a passport is not conclusive proof of Indian citizenship, which is governed by the Constitution and the Citizenship Act, 1955. He stressed that the clarification should not be read as diluting the value of an Indian passport.According to him, the Passports Act, 1967 treats a passport as a travel document, not as the sole legal basis for determining citizenship.

Citing section 20 of the Act, he said the Centre is empowered to issue passports even to non‑citizens in certain circumstances, making it clear that possession of a passport alone cannot establish citizenship.The Union minister underlined that this was not a new policy of the Narendra Modi government, pointing out that the Passports Act was enacted in 1967 during the Congress regime. He alleged that blaming the present govt for the legal position reflected either a lack of understanding or an attempt to mislead the public.

Kishan Reddy said citizenship in India is determined under the 1955 Act through provisions relating to birth, descent, registration and naturalisation. Depending on the case, authorities may rely on multiple documents — birth certificates, parents’ records, school certificates, electoral rolls, residence records, passports and other official papers.Referring to judicial precedents, he cited a 2013 Bombay high court judgment which reiterated that a passport alone cannot be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship. Calling on public representatives to exercise restraint, he said leaders should avoid statements that create unnecessary anxiety or confusion among people.