Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government for “demonstrating discriminatory mindset” and “treating India’s migrant workers like second class citizen” over reports of government’s decision to issue new passports without address information.
Rahul Gandhi tweeted; “Treating India’s migrant workers like second class citizens is completely unacceptable. This action demonstrates BJP’s discriminatory mindset”.
His reaction follows a decision by the External Affairs Ministry (MEA) to not print the address of the holder on the last page of a passport, effectively meaning that the travel document may no longer serve as a valid proof of address.
Also read: Passport will not serve as address proof soon, to lose last page
The last page of passports include the name of the father or the legal guardian, the names of the holder’s mother, spouse and their address.
“As the last page of the passport would not be printed now, the passport holders with ECR (Emigration Check Required) status would be issued a passport with orange passport jacket and those with non-ECR status would continue to get a blue passport,” an MEA statement read.
The recommendations of a three-member panel, comprising officials from the External Affairs Ministry and the Women and Child Development Ministry, were accepted and it was decided that the last page of passports and other travel documents issued under the Passports Act, 1967, and Passport Rules, 1980, “would no longer be printed”, it said.
(With agency inputs)