Jammu, 27 June (H.S.): BJP spokesperson and Convenor, International Affairs, Gaurav Gupta today accused the Congress of misleading people over the passport-citizenship issue, saying the legal provisions being debated were enacted during Congress governments.

He said the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Passport Act, 1967 were framed decades ago and continue to govern the matter.

Gupta said a passport is only a travel document issued under the Passport Act, while citizenship is determined under the Citizenship Act, making the two separate legal matters.

Referring to judicial observations, he said courts, including the Bombay High Court in 2013, have held that possession of a passport alone is not conclusive proof of citizenship.

Alleging that the Congress was creating unnecessary confusion for political reasons, Gupta said the party cannot blame the BJP for implementing laws enacted during its own tenure.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar