At a press conference, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor spoke about his previous efforts to address the issue of dual citizenship with authorities.
Tharoor, the MP for Thiruvananthapuram, emphasised the importance of allowing people living abroad to retain their Indian passports, advocating for a broader perspective on the matter. Despite his past attempts, he lamented the lack of support on dual citizenship from both the current government and the BJP, as well as the previous administration.
“I had taken up this issue in the past but did not nd support on dual citizenship from the present government or the BJP or the previous government,” Mr Tharoor said, adding, “A lot of Indians living abroad may have had to take a foreign passport for reasons like professional convenience, travel, work etc. But their hearts are still here and they still feel an emotional connection to their motherland. We need to nd concrete ways of recognising that.”
Tharoor, a former diplomat who has served as under-secretary-general of the United Nations in the past, also said the Overseas Citizenship of India was actually a misnomer.
“It is not citizenship, is only a lifetime visa. And as we have seen with the BJP government, even that visa can be revoked by the government. We denitely need to revisit this policy and try and make it more durable,” he emphasised.
He asserted the necessity of promoting and allowing citizens to retain their Indian passports even if they acquire another passport abroad due to specific circumstances.
India’s constitution does not permit dual citizenship as per provisions of Article 9 of the Constitution and Section 9 of Citizenship Act 1955.
