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HomeWorldAatish Taseer becomes US citizen, months after Modi govt revoked his OCI...

Aatish Taseer becomes US citizen, months after Modi govt revoked his OCI card

In November 2019, the Modi government had revoked author Aatish Taseer's OCI card for allegedly hiding his father's Pakistani origin.

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New Delhi: New York-based author and journalist Aatish Taseer announced Monday that he had obtained US citizenship, a few months after the Modi government revoked his Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card for allegedly failing to comply with the “basic requirement and hiding information about his father’s Pakistani origin” required for renewal.

The author took to Twitter to make the announcement.

“Some news: at an oath-taking ceremony today in lower Manhattan, I became a US citizen. Less than a year after the Modi govt stripped me of my status in India, it is amazing to be part of this great country. I hope to vote in Nov—my first time!—for the bigheartedness I saw today,” he tweeted.


Also read: Stop targetting Aatish Taseer, Committee to Protect Journalists tells Modi govt


From ‘Time’ article to revocation of OCI card

Taseer, who is the son of senior Indian journalist Tavleen Singh and former governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province Salmaan Taseer, made headlines in India over a year ago when he was attacked by several BJP leaders for authoring an article for the magazine Time on 9 May 2019, where he called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the “Divider-in-Chief” of India.

A few months later, in November, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced that since Taseer “concealed the fact that his father was of Pakistani origin” and despite being given “the opportunity to submit his reply or objections regarding his PIO/OCI cards”, he was no longer eligible for an OCI card.

However, in response, Taseer had accused the MHA of denying him the mandated 21 days to respond and said that he was just given 24 hours to file his response.

This issue gathered immense traction on social media and several prominent people also came out in support of the US-based author.

More than 260 prominent people, including scholar Homi Bhabha and authors Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood, had also signed a letter addressed to Prime Minister Modi urging the government to review its decision to revoke Taseer’s OCI card in November last year.

Taseer is an acclaimed writer and author and his books include Stranger to History: A Son’s Journey Through Islamic Lands (2007), The Temple-goers (2010) and The Twice-Born: Life and Death on the Ganges (2018).


Also read: Prankster and Pakistani patriot: Aatish Taseer’s dad Salmaan was a man of many selves


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9 COMMENTS

  1. What a scumbag you are…

    Which Crime and violence are you referring to
    1. Assassination of Bapu / Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi?
    2.Rape of Nirbhaya?
    3.Rape and killing of (Asifa) Kathua rape case
    4.Unnao Rape case
    5. Graham Staines killing?
    6.Killing of Akhlaq..Subodh Kumar Singh
    7.Lynching of swamis in palghar

    And many more….are you saying all these heinous crimes are done by Muslims?

    Don’t attribute religion to a crime…a sin is a sin and wrong is a wrong no matter whichever religion..

    Open your eyes and look at things without the biases..

  2. Is this Taseer fellow that important that an insidious 3rd rate online rag like The Print needs to publish this article?

    • Why do you read The Print, watch & read Godi media Modi media, you are intellectually n’t fit for this kind of journalism.

    • This very reply shows who ignorant Indians are and how they will weaken the country internally. Frankly, you don’t need China at the border. Sad for you brother and your level of intelligence.

      • Your reply shows that you dont know the difference between “who” and “how” yet feel brave enough to give advise to others and coment on Indians wisdom.

        120 million brethren of Taseer, dont believe in India, dont recognise Indian culture, dont have any connection with Indian traditions or values and dont subscribe to India’s historical and ancestral ethos. They were given a land called Pakistan, their failure to vacate India has cost India deeply in terms of crime, violence and loss of lives… The sooner they realize the better. India is stronger without these people.

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