On Thursday, the Home Ministry reacting to a report, stated that Taseer was ineligible for an OCI card because of his parentage.
According to a report in ThePrint, Taseer has been in the govt’s crosshairs since he wrote an article for Time magazine titled ‘Divider-in-Chief’ and criticised his first term as PM.
Sources told ThePrint that that Taseer has been served a notice and both parties are discussing the issue.
The MHA said in an official statement: “Govt. considers revoking Author Aatish Ali Tasser's OCI card after his Time article.", as reported by #ThePrint, is a complete misrepresentation and is devoid of any facts. Mr. Aatish Ali Taseer, while submitting his PIO application, concealed the fact that his late father was of Pakistani origin. Mr. Taseer was given the opportunity to submit his reply/objections regarding his PIO/OCI cards, but he failed to dispute the notice. Thus, Mr. Aatish Ali Taseer becomes ineligible to hold an OCI card, as per the Citizenship Act, 1955. He has clearly not complied with very basic requirements and hidden information.”
OCIs have several benefits including life-long visas which allows them to visit India at any time and have the same rights as NRIs.
Taseer’s mother is senior journalist Tavleen Singh, known for her fiery criticism of the UPA dispensation and the Gandhi family, and his father was Salman Taseer.
Salman Taseer was a liberal Pakistani politician and lawyer who was shot dead by his own bodyguard for defending a blasphemy accused in court.
Taseer was born in London and raised in India.
Interestingly, the Registration of the Overseas Citizen of India Cardholder states:
"Provided further that no person, who or either of whose parents or grandparents or great grandparents or has been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the Central Govt may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify, shall be eligible for registration as OCI Cardholder."
Earlier, responding to media reports on government considering revoking the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card of author and journalist Aatish Taseer, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said he was not aware of the specific case.
"How do you scrutinise an OCI card. You apply for an OCI card and there are certain conditions you fulfil and documents you have to submit....But yes there are certain conditions under which an OCI card is liable to be cancelled. I can't comment on individual cases,"
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