The Delhi High Court declined to entertain a PIL on Wednesday that sought to allow dual citizenship for Indians living abroad.
A bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela stated that the issue of permitting dual citizenship does not fall within the purview of the high court, as such a decision must be made by Parliament.
“These are matters of national security with broad implications. This is not within our domain,” the division bench remarked.
“It is for Parliament to decide, not for us. The court cannot make a decision on this matter,” the bench added.
The counsel representing the petitioner, ‘Pravasi Legal Cell,’ argued that the current law does not support dual citizenship, as Indian citizenship is automatically forfeited upon acquiring the passport of another country. However, he noted that the Centre recently stated that the issue of dual citizenship remains an “alive debate.”
The petitioner argued that granting dual citizenship could lead to “appreciable contributions” from the Indian diaspora. The court stated that the existing legal framework does not support the petitioner’s request and declined to issue any directions.
The court then allowed the petitioner to withdraw his PIL.
