A passport has never been a citizenship proof and no new decision was taken on the document by the Modi government in the last 12 years, government officials said on Thursday.Passport-citizenship debate: Govt says no policy change, cites Passports Act (Unsplash/Representational Image)The comments came on a day when reports, including by HT, quoted ministry of external affairs (MEA) as saying that a passport is a travel document and not a proof of citizenship.According to the Passport Act 1967, passports can be given to non-citizens too, these officials said. “It was not decided yesterday that the passport is not a proof of citizenship. It was not even decided in the last 12 years. The passport has never been a proof of citizenship,” one of these people stated.“Notwithstanding anything contained in the foregoing provisions relating to issue of a passport or travel document, the central government may issue, or cause to be issued, a passport or travel document to a person who is not a citizen of India if that government is of the opinion that it is necessary so to do in the public interest,” says Section 20 of the Passports Act, 1967.Section 6(2)(a) of the same Passports Act, 1967 provides that the passport authority shall refuse to issue a passport “if the applicant is not a citizen of India”.The remarks on Wednesday became a political talking point.Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal also hit out at the government over the matter.“Which document then is proof of citizenship? BLO can doubt my citizenship Deprive me of my vote. Result BJP wins the election. Over to Supreme Court !” he said on X.BJP IT department head Amit Malviya , in a post on X, accused the opposition of sensationalising a settled legal position for political reasons.He said Indian courts have repeatedly held that a passport is not conclusive proof of citizenship and cited a Bombay High Court 2013 judgment, saying the principle has been reaffirmed subsequently.“Citizenship is determined under the Citizenship Act, 1955, based on eligibility and supporting evidence, not by the mere possession of a single document,” he said.Meanwhile, the Press Trust of India cited unnamed Election Commission officials as stating that the Indian passport was among 12 valid supporting documents required by voters to prove their eligibility to be on the voters’ list under the special intensive revision of electoral rolls underway in several states.