Political gimmick or security feature?Lotus symbol to be printed on Passport

A day after Opposition members in Lok Sabha, raised the issue of lotus being printed on new passports, the MEA on Thursday alleged that lotus is one of our many national symbols and other symbols will also be printed on rotation, under security features of passports. 

Saima Siddiqui
Published on: 13 Dec 2019 6:49 AM GMT
Political gimmick or security feature?Lotus symbol to be printed on Passport
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New Delhi: Printing of Lotus symbol on passport could be interpreted as a "further saffronisation" but according to the Ministry of External Affairs it was just the part of the enhanced security features to identify fake passports and will also involve other national symbols, soon on rotation.

A day after Opposition members in Lok Sabha, raised the issue of lotus being printed on new passports, the MEA on Thursday alleged that lotus is one of our many national symbols and other symbols will also be printed on rotation, under security features of passports.

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Raising this issue of lotus replacing the' lion emblem' on new passports which were brought for distribution in Kozhikode in Kerala, Congress leader, MK Raghavan raised the issue in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour on Thursday. Raghavan said the matter was brought to notice by a newspaper report and alleged that the move was "further saffronisation" of the government establishment.

On asked about the issue, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "This symbol is our national flower and is part of the enhanced security features to identify fake passports."

These security features have been introduced as part of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines, Kumar stated further.

"Apart from the Lotus, other national symbols will be used on rotation. Right now it is lotus and then next month there will be something else. These are symbols connected with India such as national flower or national animal," Raveesh said.

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Saima Siddiqui

Saima Siddiqui

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