Centre Denies Passport Renewal to Ex-Telegraph Editor After Voting Rights Revoked

Kolkata: The central government has refused to renew the passport of R Rajagopal, former editor of The Telegraph, citing the absence of his name from the electoral roll — a development that comes after his voting rights were earlier revoked. Rajagopal had completed biometric formalities for the renewal on March 19, but Kolkata Police submitted an adverse report citing the absence of his name in the voter list.

Because his passport renewal was held up, Rajagopal was unable to attend his daughter's wedding in the US. His vote, registered in Ballygunge, West Bengal, had been struck off by the Election Commission as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, on the grounds that neither his name nor his father's name appeared in the 2002 electoral rolls. The journalist has since approached the court against the move.

Authorities have asked Rajagopal to appear in person at the Regional Passport Office in Kolkata to process his renewal. When he sought an appointment, he was told to report only by July 17.

CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby said the denial of a passport to Rajagopal exposes the "ugly, venomous fangs" of the SIR process. He said the SIR is not merely obstructing lakhs of people from exercising their constitutional right to vote — it has also become a weapon for implementing the BJP's divisive Hindutva agenda of determining citizenship.

Baby said the CPI(M) had warned that the SIR would disenfranchise the country's poor, and that now even a well-known journalist like R Rajagopal has been denied his voting rights. He pointed out that Rajagopal is unable to renew his own passport for the sole reason that his name is missing from the electoral roll, asking what kind of cruel joke those in power are playing with the lives and rights of the people of India.