Hyderabad: AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has launched a sharp attack on the Centre amid the growing political debate over citizenship documents, questioning whether Indians could one day be asked to prove their nationality through political affiliation.

"Maybe the government is saying that in 2030, only people who have a BJP membership card will be called an Indian citizen," Owaisi said while reacting to the controversy surrounding passports and proof of citizenship.

His remarks came after government sources reiterated that an Indian passport has never been treated as conclusive proof of citizenship under existing law and that no fresh decision has been taken by the Narendra Modi government on the issue.

Owaisi argued that a passport is issued only after detailed scrutiny and police verification, making it difficult to understand why it should not be considered evidence of citizenship.

Referring to the Passport Act, he said citizenship certificates are issued only in specific cases, such as registration or naturalisation, while millions of Indians acquire citizenship by birth.

"I am by birth and by choice, an Indian citizen. My generations and my grandfather's grandfather was born over here. I feel that the government wants to retain the control to randomly ask any person, are you an Indian?," Owaisi said.

What the government has said

Government sources clarified on Thursday that reports suggesting a new position on passports were misleading. According to officials, passports have historically functioned as travel documents and not as standalone proof of citizenship.

Sources further pointed out that the legal position predates the current government and has remained unchanged for years. They also cited court observations and provisions under the Passport Act to argue that possession of a passport alone does not automatically establish citizenship status.

The clarification followed media reports quoting Ministry of External Affairs officials as saying that a passport facilitates international travel but is not a document that independently determines citizenship.

Opposition leaders join the criticism

The issue quickly triggered reactions from several opposition figures.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra took a swipe at the Centre, claiming that citizens were being left uncertain about what documents would be accepted as proof of nationality.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal questioned which document would ultimately be considered valid proof of citizenship if passports could not serve that purpose. He also raised concerns over the implications for electoral rolls and voting rights.

Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar described the government's position as "absurd", arguing that authorities would ordinarily satisfy themselves about a person's nationality before issuing a passport.

What Indian law says about citizenship

The debate has also revived discussion around the legal framework governing citizenship in India.

Government officials have referred to earlier court rulings, including observations by the Bombay High Court, which held that a passport by itself is not definitive proof of citizenship.

They have also pointed to the Supreme Court's observations during hearings related to electoral roll revisions, where Aadhaar was described as an identity document rather than conclusive evidence of citizenship.

The Centre has previously stated that citizenship is determined under the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the Citizenship Rules, 2009. Under the law, Indian citizenship can be acquired through five routes: birth, descent, registration, naturalisation and incorporation of territory.

A government FAQ released during the debate over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) had also stated that citizenship may be established through documents relating to a person's date and place of birth, though no single list of acceptable documents had been finalised at the time.

With PTI inputs