This is shocking news for all the Goans who is in possession of Portuguese passport. According to the available data, there are 27000 Goans who possess both Indian and Portuguese passport and they come under the purview of dual nationality. The election commission has already started deleting the names of such Goans and in the following days it will be taking up more such case for deletion. How many names electoral office already deleted? What will be the destiny of all the Portuguese passport holders? Read the complete report here.
[su_expand more_text=”READ MORE” less_text=” ” height=”0″ hide_less=”yes” link_style=”button” link_align=”center”] The Indian Government had already made it clear that those who are holding the Portuguese passport will lose their Indian nationality and losing of Indian nationality means losing the voting rights. And that is what is happening now. The State Chief Electoral Office (CEO) has decided to delete the names of all the Goans who holds Portuguese passport and the deletion process is already commenced.
Read: Goans registered in Portugal are likely to lose their Indian citizenship
According to the sources, the election office has already deleted 10,000 names from the electoral register. That means ten thousand Goans have already lost their election rights in India and so their Nationality in this country. 27,000 Goans holds the Indian as well as Portuguese passport and as per the earlier indications made by the Chief Minister of Goa Portuguese Passport holders will lose citizenship has already brought into the practice.
According to the news published by the local English daily, this is the double shock to all the Goans who are in possession of Portuguese passport. There is an official confirmation that there are at least 27,000 Goans who hold both Portuguese and Indian passports in clear violation of Indian law. And second, all of these 27,000 who have voted in an Indian election in spite of being Portuguese nationals will have their names, finally struck off the rolls for the 2017 elections.
Read: Despite BREXIT, Goans still struggle for Portuguese Passport at Portuguese Consulate at Altinho
The State Chief Electoral Office (CEO) has decided to delete their names from the electoral lists, as the laws do not provide for dual citizenship in India. Based on data submitted by the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO), the CEO has noted that there are 27,000 Goans holding Portuguese passport-cum-citizenship. Directions have been issued to all taluka level election officers to delete these names from the voters list. The State Assembly elections are due in 2017. “The decision has been taken following directions from the Election Commission of India (ECI), who opined that as per the Representation of People’s Act and the Election Rules, one has to be an Indian citizen to cast one’s vote. Also, the concept of dual citizenship does not exist in the country,” Chief Electoral Officer Narayan Navti told Herald.
The sources have revealed that the election commission has sought the number of Goans holding the Portuguese passport and details we already submitted two weeks ago which has resulted into the deletion of 10,000 names from the electoral list. “In January, several voters, who opted for Portuguese passports, had sent applications that they should be allowed to vote. The same was forwarded to the ECI for decision. ECI is of the view, that these applications cannot be entertained,” said the sources.
Read: How 20,000 Goans managed to enter the UK with the help of Portuguese passport
As per data available with the CEO (FRRO), 2,200 people have changed their nationality in Goa in the financial year 2012-13, which means an average six people a day. From January to August 2015, there were 2158 people who gave up their Indian passports at the Regional Passport Office in Panjim, after acquiring Portuguese passports. The year 2014 saw 1,660 passports being surrendered.
The story does not end here since according to the available information, apart from those holding Portuguese passports, there are thousands of Goans who have registered their births in Portugal with the help of a provision offered by the State’s former colonial rulers to those born before Goa’s liberation in 1961 and to their children, but holding neither a Portuguese passport nor a cartao de cidadao (citizen’s card). The fate of these people will be decided by the Special Authority, the District Collectors appointed by the Union Home Ministry to deal with the citizenship issue.
Read: Goans still have two more years to enter into the UK with the help of Portuguese Passport
If you are holding the Portuguese passport then perhaps this is the right time to disclose the same and come out of dual nationality to keep intact your voting rights in India. But if you are not holding the Portuguese passport and have your name registered in the central registry of Lisbon then this may be your last chance to come ahead and take advantage of the provision made by the Indian government. If you have anything to tell please share the same in your comments just bellow this article.
Source: HERALD
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