What is the surest proof of Indian citizenship? Javed Akhtar angry over passport controversy, raised sharp questions on the system – ‘Will they give this document to some people?’

New Delhi: Amid the issue of infiltration of Bangladeshis into India, the statement of the Ministry of External Affairs is attracting the attention of the countrymen. The Ministry of External Affairs said in its statement that passport is not a proof of your citizenship, which is troubling a large section. People have different opinions on the issue. Meanwhile, famous lyricist Javed Akhtar has strongly criticized the ministry. He termed the statement as absurd and raised a sharp question as to how does the officer differentiate between genuine citizens and illegal immigrants?

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The controversy started on the occasion of 14th Passport Seva Divas, when the Ministry of External Affairs said that the purpose of passport is to ease international travel. Merely having a passport does not prove one’s citizenship. This statement has sparked a heated debate on social media, because in India passports are issued only to Indian citizens. 81 year old Javed Akhtar gave a sharp reaction questioning the ministry’s stand on X. He wrote that ‘The Ministry of External Affairs says that passport is a document for travel, not proof of citizenship. If this is indeed the case, then are they giving these documents to some people without being completely sure that the person is an Indian citizen? This is absurd.

The ministry of external affairs says that a passport is a travel document not the proof of citizenship. Really??? . So are they providing this travel document to some people with out being totally convinced that this person is an Indian citizen?? . It is absurd.

— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) June 24, 2026

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Questions raised by illegal immigrants

When a user commented on Javed Akhtar’s statement that documents like Aadhaar, Voter ID and PAN card are also not considered as proof of citizenship, the lyricist emphasized his point. He replied, ‘Who in the system is providing unconditional help to these illegal immigrants? How do they differentiate between fake and genuine citizens in such bad conditions?

The debate on passport has again drawn attention to the question, what is actually the definitive proof of Indian citizenship? At the beginning of the year, the Supreme Court, during the hearing on the ‘Special Intensive Revision’ of the voter list, had made it clear that Aadhaar is not a definitive proof of citizenship and it is only an identity document. Similarly, Voter ID card is seen as proof of identity and address rather than a document of citizenship. According to ETimes report, under Indian citizenship laws, a person born in the country on or after January 26, 1950, but before July 1, 1987, is considered a citizen by birth. The rule of citizenship by birth applies to people born after July 1987 if at least one parent is an Indian citizen. For those born on or after December 3, 2004, both parents must be Indian citizens or one of them must be a citizen and the other must not be an illegal immigrant at the time of birth.