New Delhi (The Hawk): On Thursday, the Delhi High Court requested the Center's response to a petition filed by Ashok Swain, an Indian-origin professor living in Sweden, challenging the barring of his Overseas Citizen of India card (OCI card).
A foreign national of Indian descent is given an OCI card, which permits them to reside and work in India for an infinite amount of time.
Single-judge Justice Prathiba M. Singh has posted the case for hearing in February 2023 and has given the Centre four weeks to respond.
Swain teaches peace and conflict research at Uppsala University in Sweden's Department of Peace and Conflict Research.
He had argued in his plea that the current Indian government was to blame for his OCI card being terminated in February 2022. He said that he had not made any speeches that were offensive.
Swain claimed that the reason his card was suspended was because of his allegedly provocative remarks and anti-Indian activities, but there were no particular instances or evidence to support this claim.
"It is asserted that the petitioner has never made any incendiary remarks or participated in anti-Indian actions. His duty as a scholar in society is to examine and critique the government's policies in his work, "Swain read his petition.
The statement said, "Being an Academician, he evaluates and criticises the policies of the present government. Merely criticising the policies of the current ruling dispensation shall not be construed as engaging in anti-Indian activities under Section 7D(e) of the Citizenship Act, 1955."
(Inputs from Agencies)
