NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto has launched a sharp attack on the central government following reports that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has clarified that a passport is only a travel document and not proof of Indian citizenship.
Reacting to the development, Crasto questioned the consistency of government-issued documents being accepted as valid proof of citizenship and accused the Centre of changing positions based on convenience.
He said, “The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, now goes on to say that your passport is just a travel document and not a proof of citizenship of India.”
Crasto further pointed out that other commonly used identity documents have also been classified as non-proof of citizenship. He added, “Earlier, they said the Aadhaar card is no proof of citizenship, the voter ID card is no proof of citizenship, and many such documents of the government are no proof of citizenship of India, then what proves you to be a citizen of India is what the government needs to tell us.”
Accusing the BJP-led government of inconsistency, he said policies appear to be framed according to convenience rather than clarity. He stated, “The BJP-led government in the Centre comes out with clauses to suit their convenience all the time.”
In a politically charged remark, Crasto added, “Don’t be surprised if tomorrow, the government comes up with a clause saying that if you become a member of the BJP, you prove yourself to be the citizen of India.”
His statement comes amid ongoing political debate over documentation, citizenship verification, and the legal standing of various identity proofs used across government systems.
