New Delhi, Jan 14 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhitoday attacked the BJP-led Union government over reports thatpassports may no longer serve as the holder's address proof,saying the decision shows the ruling party's "discriminatorymindset".
Gandhi said the move shows that the government wastreating India's migrant workers as "second class citizens".
"Treating India's migrant workers like second classcitizens is completely unacceptable. This action demonstratesBJP's discriminatory mindset," the Congress president tweeted.
His reaction follows a decision by the External AffairsMinistry to not print the address of the holder on the lastpage of a passport, effectively meaning that the traveldocument may no longer serve as a valid proof of address.
The last page of passports include the name of the fatheror the legal guardian, the names of the holder's mother,spouse and their address.
"As the last page of the passport would not be printednow, the passport holders with ECR (Emigration Check Required)status would be issued a passport with orange passport jacketand those with non-ECR status would continue to get a bluepassport," an MEA statement read.
The recommendations of a three-member panel, comprisingofficials from the External Affairs Ministry and the Women andChild Development Ministry, were accepted and it was decidedthat the last page of passports and other travel documentsissued under the Passports Act, 1967, and Passport Rules,1980, "would no longer be printed", it said. PTI SKCABH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.