Delhi: Professor Swain moves HC against Centre's order cancelling his OCI card
Sep 09, 2023
New Delhi [India], September 9 : Professor Ashok Swain has challenged a fresh order passed by the central government cancelling his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. The petition is likely to be heard by the Delhi High Court on Monday.
The Delhi High Court on July 10 set aside the Central Government's order of cancellation of the OCI Card of Professor Ashok Swain. He had challenged the order, saying that it was without any reasoning. He is a professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University, Sweden.
The Centre passed the fresh order on July 30, after the High Court on July 10 set aside the order passed by the Central Government.
Ashok Swain has said that he cannot be witch-hunted for his views on the present government and its policies.
Earlier, Justice Subramonium Prasad had set aside the order passed by the Central Government cancelling the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card of Ashok Swain.
The high court said, "What is this order? Where is the application of mind?"
The High Court also directed the centre to pass a detailed order giving reasons for the action against the petitioner within three weeks.
Advocates Aadil Singh Boparai and Sumer Singh Boparai appeared for the petitioner.
The petition was moved in December 2022 through advocates Ayesha Jamal, Shrishti Khanna, Sachin Kumar, and Siddhant Saraswat.
It was stated that the OCI card was cancelled in February 2022 because of his criticism of the present Indian Government. His stand is that he has not given any inflammatory speech.
It was also submitted that there is no specific incident or material to the effect that he was indulging in any such activities.
The petitioner claimed that he has never engaged in any inflammatory speech or anti India Activities. As a professor, his role is to discuss the policies of the government through his work.
It was also stated that criticism of certain government policies of the current government shall not be tantamount to anti-India activities under the Citizenship Act, 1955.
