In a series of tweets to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, the couple had shared their harrowing experience.
Lucknow: The regional passport office in Lucknow Thursday transferred an official accused of humiliating an interfaith couple and expressed regret over the incident.
Regional passport officer Piyush Verma said a show-cause notice has been issued to the officer and he has been transferred with immediate effect.
Verma said passports were issued to the couple — Mohammad Anas Siddiqui and Tanvi Seth — after he met them in his office.
“We have also sent the report to the ministry of external affairs for further action,” Verma said assuring necessary action against the official.
The RPO expressed regret over the incident and assured that it would not be repeated.
The couple had Wednesday taken to Twitter to share their harrowing experience of how the erring officer questioned Seth for not changing her surname after marrying a Muslim.
In a series of tweets to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, Seth spoke about the “high handedness” of the official and also sought her intervention.
“I was told my passport cannot be issued because I have married a Muslim and did not change my surname. I asked what I should do now and I was told to change my surname in all documents,” Seth told newspersons.
“The said official while interviewing me spoke very loudly and in a very humiliating manner in view of a lot of people,” she rued.
“I do not know if he had any personal grudge…he started asking questions just after he saw our names,” Siddiqui said.
“We had applied for passport and after going through all the formalities, I went for the final verification and the official there made absurd queries over my marriage as I have not changed my surname…he said that it is duty of every woman to change her surname after marriage and used demeaning language besides making gestures…,” Tanvi alleged. – PTI