Election Commission officials on Thursday clarified that Indian passports continue to be among the 12 valid supporting documents that voters can submit to establish their eligibility for inclusion in the electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The clarification comes amid a controversy triggered by the Ministry of External Affairs' statement that a passport is not proof of citizenship under the Passport Act, 1967.
Government sources stressed that passports have never been treated as conclusive proof of citizenship and that no change in policy regarding the document has been introduced by the Modi government over the past 12 years.
Officials noted that passports were accepted during the Bihar SIR, Assam's special revision exercise and subsequent electoral roll revision drives, and remain part of the list of 12 permissible documents.
"Passport was and continues to be one of the documents to establish identity," an official said, underlining that "there is no change."
The official added that the Electoral Registration Officer examines one of the indicative documents submitted by an applicant before deciding whether the person is eligible to be included in the voters' list.
(With inputs from PTI)