South Goa (Goa) [India], June 25 : Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday hit out at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, alleging that his remarks on citizenship and the passport issue were aimed at "provocation" and spreading misinformation, while reiterating that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) treats all communities equally.
Rijiju said Owaisi frequently targets the BJP due to political differences.
Speaking to ANI in Cavelossim, Rijiju said, "Owaisi says this to provoke. He doesn't like the BJP, so he keeps maligning it. For the BJP, people of every religion and every caste are equal. Our philosophy is that justice is for all, appeasement to none."
He said the government had only explained procedural requirements and not altered citizenship rules.
"It is a matter of status, so the MEA explained a process. You should have a passport, but a passport alone doesn't prove your citizenship. They explained the requirements beyond that," he further added.
His remark came after Owaisi criticised the government's approach to citizenship verification, suggesting that current rhetoric aims to create an environment of systemic exclusion.
Speaking in Hyderabad, Owaisi expressed concern over the shifting criteria for proving Indian nationality, questioning the future implications for ordinary citizens.
The AIMIM leader expressed deep scepticism regarding the government's long-term agenda. He alleged that the administration seeks the power to arbitrarily challenge the citizenship status of individuals.
In a pointed remark on the potential for political weaponisation, Owaisi added, "Maybe the government is saying that in 2030, only people who have a BJP membership card will be called an Indian citizen."
"A passport is only given to an Indian citizen. If you read the Passport Act 1967, it clearly says that a passport is not given to a non-Indian citizen, and a passport is given only after a thorough police verification. Then, if you are saying that only a citizenship certificate is proof, then a citizenship certificate is only given to those people who got citizenship through registration or naturalisation," he said.
"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 stated, underscoring his own lineage to challenge the necessity of additional documentation.
The government clarified that a passport has never been considered proof of citizenship, adding that no such decision was taken either recently or in the last 12 years. The clarification referenced Section 20 of the Passports Act, 1967, which provides for the issuance of passports to non-citizens.