Congress accuses govt of undermining citizenship rights, warns of ‘political vendetta’

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of creating fear and uncertainty among citizens, alleging that recent developments regarding citizenship documentation could be used to arbitrarily deny citizenship rights to Indians.

‎In a post on social media platform X, Venugopal claimed that the government was fostering panic among ordinary people by suggesting that possession of a passport alone may not be sufficient proof of citizenship.
‎“This government excels in creating panic and helplessness among ordinary citizens. By declaring that even a Passport doesn’t certify one’s citizenship, they are laying the groundwork to arbitrarily deny citizenship rights to Indians who they disagree with,” Venugopal said.

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‎The senior Congress leader further alleged that the ruling dispensation had previously engaged in efforts to remove names of individuals belonging to certain communities from electoral rolls for political purposes and warned that similar tactics could be extended to questions of citizenship.

‎“We are well aware of their clandestine measures to remove names of people from certain communities from the voter rolls, to suit their political agenda,” he said.
‎Escalating his criticism of the government, Venugopal accused it of pursuing authoritarian policies and claimed that citizens could eventually face the risk of losing their citizenship despite possessing official documents.
‎“The day is not far when purely out of political vendetta, this fascist regime will strip you of your citizenship — even if you have a passport or any other document proving that you are Indian,” he said.

‎The remarks come amid an ongoing political debate over citizenship documentation, electoral rolls and the verification of citizens’ records, issues that have frequently sparked sharp exchanges between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition parties. The Congress has repeatedly accused the government of using administrative and legal mechanisms to target specific communities and political opponents, charges that the BJP has consistently rejected.

‎The BJP has maintained that all measures related to citizenship and voter verification are carried out in accordance with constitutional and legal provisions and are intended to ensure the integrity of official records and electoral processes.
‎Venugopal’s latest criticism adds to the opposition’s broader attack on the Modi government, with Congress leaders increasingly raising concerns over what they describe as threats to democratic institutions, civil liberties and constitutional rights. The ruling party, however, has dismissed such allegations as politically motivated and aimed at creating unnecessary apprehension among the public.