Harish Salve Backs MEA On Passport Row
A row over whether an Indian passport can be treated as conclusive proof of citizenship has intensified after senior advocate Harish Salve supported the government’s legal position, saying citizenship is determined by law and not by possession of a passport alone.
Indian Passport And Citizenship Law
Salve said an Indian passport is primarily a travel document and cannot override the legal framework that determines citizenship. The clarification comes after the Ministry of External Affairs said a passport helps establish identity for international travel but should not be treated as final proof of citizenship in all legal contexts.
Harish Salve Backs MEA Passport Stand
The senior lawyer said the MEA’s position is legally correct because citizenship is decided under statutory rules. He noted that while a passport is generally accepted as strong supporting evidence, authorities may still examine how it was obtained if serious doubts arise over a person’s citizenship status.
Citizenship Act Rules In India
Indian citizenship is governed by the Citizenship Act, 1955. A person may acquire citizenship by birth, descent, registration, naturalisation or incorporation of territory. Legal experts point out that common identity documents such as Aadhaar, voter ID or passport may support a claim, but they do not automatically settle every citizenship question.
Passport Row Sparks Legal Debate
The debate has grown amid wider public confusion over which documents prove Indian citizenship. The Passports Act, 1967 also allows the government, in limited public-interest cases, to issue passports or travel documents to non-citizens. This is why officials have stressed that citizenship must be determined through the applicable law and rules, rather than any single identity document.
