NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday said that it had no objection to providing a passport to hard-line separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, but said he needed to complete all the necessary formalities.
The MHA statement came after the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) had said on Thursday that Geelani’s passport form was incomplete.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that his application will come before the ministry only after all the paperwork is done, maintaining that the MHA has no objection to granting him clearance for securing the passport. “We can issue the passport once all the formalities are completed. We have no objection if all the formalities are completed,” Rajnath said.
On Thursday, MEA said that an incomplete passport application was received from Geelani, fee was not paid and the biometric details and photographs not submitted to the authority concerned. The PDP,which jointly heads the coalition government in J&K, has been demanding a passport for Geelani on humanitarian grounds. However, the Centre made it clear that the separatist leader would have to follow the rules of the land like any other individual.
‘Geelani must go thru the process’
Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh said even if permission to go abroad were given to Geelani, the process will be similar to what everyone is put through. Singh said the Law is clear on the provisions to be made on humanitarian grounds. Meanwhile, AICC spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam urged the Centre to take a decision to stop issuing passport to Geelani, agencies reported.