India’s Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has vowed to initiate a comprehensive discussion within an appropriate platform regarding the issue of dual citizenship, media reports said.
Addressing a press conference in Goa, Tharoor expressed his belief that Indians residing abroad should retain their Indian passports, “even when circumstances require them to take another passport for which we have to find a legal formula”.
“As far as I am concerned, I will be a voice for that,” Tharoor affirmed, emphasising the need to develop a legal framework to enable citizens to hold both Indian and foreign passports.
Highlighting his past efforts on the matter, Tharoor remarked on the lack of support from both the present BJP government and the previous administration. He stressed the necessity for a broader perspective on dual citizenship, recognising the emotional ties many Indians abroad maintain with their homeland despite holding foreign passports for practical reasons.
Tharoor criticised the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI), labelling it a misnomer as it grants only a lifetime visa rather than citizenship, a status which can also be revoked, as seen under the current BJP government.
Reflecting on his involvement in discussions during his tenure as chairman of the external affairs committee, Tharoor recalled efforts to secure voting rights for Indians living abroad, particularly passport holders. However, he noted the reluctance of the BJP government to address this issue.
Dual citizenship is prohibited for Indian nationals according to the Indian Constitution. Dual or multiple citizenship confers upon an individual the legal status of being a citizen of two or more countries concurrently.
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