British-born writer Aatish Ali Taseer, the son of journalist Tavleen Singh and late Pakistani politician Salman Taseer, stands to lose the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card and his future visit to India is likely to be banned as he allegedly concealed the fact that his father was a Pakistani.
A home ministry spokesperson said Taseer becomes ineligible to hold an OCI card, as per the Citizenship Act, 1955, as the OCI card is not issued to any person whose parents or grandparents are Pakistanis and he hid this fact. Taseer has clearly not complied with very basic requirements and hidden information, the spokesperson said.
Mr. Aatish Ali Taseer, while submitting his PIO application, concealed the fact that his late father was of Pakistani origin.
— Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) November 7, 2019
The spokesperson also denied that the government had been considering revoking Taseer's OCI card after he wrote an article in the TIME magazine, which was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news was a "complete misrepresentation and is devoid of any facts".
The TIME issue on Modi, prior to the elections, had two prominent articles. One is by columnist Aatish Taseer, who asks, Can the World's Largest Democracy Endure Another Five Years of a Modi Government.
Taseer placed the rise of Modi in the context of populist sentiment seen in countries across the world. Taseer wrote, “It forces us to reckon with how in India, as well as in societies as far apart as Turkey and Brazil, Britain and the US, populism has given voice to a sense of grievance among majorities that is too widespread to be ignored...”
Taseer referred to Modi's inability to bring economic growth and usage of Hindutva. Taseer noted Modi “has in every field, from politics and economics to Indology itself, privileged authenticity over ability, leading India down the road to a profound anti-intellectualism.”
Taseer concluded on an ominous note, “Modi’s India feels like a place where the existing order of things has passed away, without any credible new order having come into being. Modi has won—and may yet win again—but to what end?”
As per the Citizenship Act, if the registration as an OCI card holder was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of any material fact, the registration as OCI card holder shall be cancelled. The person will also be blacklisted thereby banning his or her future entry into India.
The home ministry spokesperson said Taseer was given the opportunity to submit his reply/objection regarding his Person of India Origin/OCI cards, but he failed to dispute the notice.
Reacting to the Home Ministry statement, Taseer wrote on Twitter that he was not given 21 days to reply to the ministry notice but just 24 hours.
This is untrue. Here is the Consul General’s acknowledgment of my reply. I was given not the full 21 days, but rather 24 hours to reply. I’ve heard nothing from the ministry since. https://t.co/z7OtTaLLeO pic.twitter.com/t3LBWUtkdi
— Aatish Taseer (@AatishTaseer) November 7, 2019
"This is untrue. Here is the Consul General's acknowledgment of my reply. I was given not the full 21 days, but rather 24 hours to reply. I've heard nothing from the ministry since," he said.
