"If Passport Does Not Establish Citizenship, Then What Does?" Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor, a Congress MP, criticized the Ministry of External Affairs' (MEA) recent statement that an Indian passport is not conclusive proof of citizenship. He argued that this distinction creates an absurd legal paradox and urged the government to amend the law to make both passports and Aadhaar cards valid and conclusive proofs of citizenship unless explicitly withdrawn by the state. Tharoor suggested a solution involving a visually distinct Aadhaar card for non-citizens, designed to clearly differentiate between citizens and residents.