New Delhi: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar admitted Friday that he was a Canadian citizen, which means he is obligated to “bear true allegiance To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second”.
Every immigrant must pledge the following when Canada grants them citizenship: I swear (or affirm)/That I will be faithful/And bear true allegiance/To Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second/Queen of Canada Her Heirs and Successors/And that I will faithfully observe/The laws of Canada/And fulfil my duties/As a Canadian citizen.”
Kumar is known to make movies with strong nationalistic themes and has been involved in martyrs welfare initiatives, like an app to crowdfund compensation for their families. His citizenship, however, has been a matter of much speculation over the years, with the actor himself making different statements about it on different occasions.
The controversy came to the fore again when he refused to respond to a journalist who asked him why he hadn’t voted while his wife Twinkle Khanna had.
“I really don’t understand the unwarranted interest and negativity about my citizenship,” he tweeted Friday in response to the controversy.
“I have never hidden or denied that I hold a Canadian passport,” he added, “I have never needed to prove my love for India to anyone, I find it disappointing that my citizenship issue is constantly dragged into needless controversy”.
He called his decision to take up Canadian citizenship a “personal, legal, non political” matter which is “of no consequence to others”.
Details unknown
Kumar has been evasive about his citizenship in the past. He has claimed he has dual citizenship, even though it’s a concept not allowed in India.
The date and year Kumar acquired citizenship remain unknown, though a 2012 article from the Vancouver Observer stated that Kumar was granted citizenship “within weeks” even as some other bona fide applicants’ requests were denied.
In 2008, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Windsor for his “outstanding” contribution to film. In 2010, Canada announced Kumar would be the Canadian Tourism Commission’s (CTC’s) new tourism ambassador for India.
In 2017, in an interview with Times Now, Kumar claimed he was an “honorary citizen” of Canada:
“About the Canadian thing. I am an honorary citizen. I have been given an honorary thing. It is a thing that people should be proud of. I have an honorary doctorate as well. But main doctor nahi ban gaya. So, this is what people have to understand.”
Only six people have been awarded honorary citizenships by Canada, and Kumar does not feature on the list. They are: Raoul Wallenberg (1985 Posthumous), Nelson Mandela (2001), Tenzin Gyatso – The Dalai Lama (2006), Aung San Suu Kyi (2007, revoked in 2018), Karim Aga Khan IV (2010) and Malala Yousafzai (2014).
Modi interviewed by a Canadian citizen named Akshay Kumar. True Nationalism. Time to wake up India.
May have OCI registration ,leave him alone,at least wife has Indian citizenship
Many Indiana r proud of Google Pichai and Microsofy Satya and many more , who r foreign citizens and work, pay taxes ther but against another Indian who took canadian citizenship, works nd pays taxes in India, wife,kids r still Indian , who support good causes like Swatch Bharat. These people who question should be ashamed.
Akshay is Akshay.All people who oppose him are idle & useless.
Akshay is much much better than those people who live in India but pray for our enemies.He is a highly respected person,who does a lot for India aka pays highest income tax.People who are opposing him are out of their minds.They are idle & have too much of spare time to become famous like this.Shameless & Useless people
Don’t indulge in India’s politics. It’s none of your business. Shameful, that you have not visited your own country (Canada) since last 10 years.
The joker still doesn’t get it. Does he? He should realize that as a foreign citizen he is explicitly prohibited from interfering/participating in the political process of India (and this includes his interviews which can be seen as a foreigner influencing the political outcome of this country).
Akshay is being targetted by Congress people. Pappu took British citizenship, he is not questioned. Akshay has donated huge money for welfare of soldiers and what Pappu and his mother and dead father did, his father made money in Bofors guns and mother and son made money in Augusta Westland. What a contrast
This shows their so called patriotism, a slave to the Queen and doing movies like Kesari. Akshay, shame on you, for making a joke of Martyrs.
This shows their so called patriotism, a slave to the Queen and doing movies like Kesari. Shame on you Akshay for making joke of Martyrs.
Indians should stop buying fake nationalism of Akshay Kumar in the name of cinema. On one side he is swearing to be always loyal to Queen Elizabeth, and on the other side he is selling patriotism to Indian people in the name of films like “Gold”. What a joke he made with us!
And some people are saying that he is continuing towards India. I want to ask them what he has done? He might have found hospitals, schools, NGOs, but that is not contribution, that’s business.
And India doesn’t need any type of contribution from a foreigner to whom having Indian citizenship and holding Indian passport is a shame.
My son studied in hallifax for 2 yrs doing mba but he was not given citizenship n how akshay got staying in india its so surprising
One need to find and investigate what are tax implications and is there any tax evasion and routing of money
Dil toh ek hi mulq ke liye dhadak sakta hai. Not sure how foreign governments / countries, especially in these hyper nationalistic times, feel when some of their citizens who are of Indian origin attend large rallies / events, concluding with chants of BMKJ. From the time of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, there has been a consciousness that the Indian diaspora are foreign citizens who must be completely loyal to their respective nations.
Good on him. He is contributing so much to India yet some good for nothing people have to accuse him. This shows how poor indian mindset is. Shameful
The main issue is why he changed his citizenship to Canadian , even if he is contributing much to the country. What positives he found in Candian citizenship than Indian citizenship.
Beta Akshay Kumar…..ever since you became Modi Pal… problems are been created…..never enter politics…Amitabh Bachchan also burnt his finger and now realised not to enter politics.
Hardly controversial or scandalous. The problem would have been if he had cast his vote using his invalid voter ID. Instead he came clean on why he didn’t vote.