New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Home Affairs on November 7 clarified that British-born writer Aatish Ali Taseer’s Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status was not revoked over an article about Prime Minister Narendra Modi but for concealing the fact that his late father was of Pakistani origin.
Refuting media reports that Taseer’s OCI card has been revoked after his critical article over Narendra Modi in the Time magazine, the government said, “Govt. considers revoking Author Aatish Ali Taseer’s OCI card after his Time article..”, as reported by ‘ThePrint’, is a complete misrepresentation and is devoid of any facts.”
“Aatish Ali Taseer, while submitting his PIO application, concealed the fact that his late father was of Pakistani origin. Thus, he 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,” said an official statement.
However, the ministry had given him the opportunity to submit his reply and the objections regarding his Person of Indian Origin (PIO) or Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, but he failed to dispute the notice, the statement added.
Aatish Taseer is British citizen of Indian origin and writes for TIME magazine.
Meanwhile, Taseer has claimed that he was given just 24 hours to reply to the letter sent to him by the Home Ministry, instead of the 21 days mandated by law.
In a tweet Taseer said, “I was given not the full 21 days, but rather 24 hours to reply. I have heard nothing from the ministry since.”
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
–ps
