It's now official: Akshay Kumar has not been conferred honorary Canadian citizenship

By A Representative
It is now official. Super-star Akshay Kumar has not been conferred any honorary citizenship by Canadian authorities, as claimed by him ahead of the 2019 elections. In reply to a query by Roshan Shah, who is a Canadian citizen living in Waterloo, Ontario, and belongs to Ahmedabad, the country’s authorities dealing with issues related with immigration, refugees and citizenship in Canada have said that only six persons have so far been granted honorary citizenship.
An IT expert, Shah said, the answer that he has received has put in question the top actor’s claim of honorary citizenship. Akshay Kumar must now come clean on what kind of Canadian citizenship he has, as to get the citizenship, one must continuously stay in Canada for about three years after getting permanent residency. The actor, known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, may have bought the citizenship, as he has been living in India for the last seven years, added Shah.
Those who have been granted honorary citizenship are: Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish diplomat noted for his actions during the Holocaust (1985, granted posthumously); Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid activist and former President of South Africa (2001); Tenzin Gyatso, the current and 14th Dalai Lama (2006); Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese democracy advocate and Nobel laureate (2007); Karim Aga Khan, Imam of the world's 15 million Shia Ismali Muslims and champion of development, pluralism and tolerance around the world (2010); and Malala Yousafzai, human rights and girls' education advocate and youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (2017).
Honorary citizenship is a political status or statement, not a legal status, the Canadian authorities have told Shah, adding, rescinding that honour is likewise a political statement for which there is no process described in the Citizenship Act. Thus, In September 2018, members of Parliament unanimously passed a motion to strip Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary Canadian citizenship, over her complicity in the Myanmar military's genocide committed against the minority Rohingiya population and other ethnic minorities.“
Honorary Canadian citizenship is traditionally conferred by a joint resolution of the House of Commons and the Senate. However, the decision to make someone an honorary citizen is a political one and the Government is not bound to use a motion to confer or rescind honorary citizenship. The Government may wish to proceed by way of a motion, or by simply making a declaration to that effect, or by holding a press conference to declare a person to be or to no longer be an honorary citizen.
Further, Shah has been told, the Canadian citizenship legislation does not govern honorary citizenship, which is no more than a symbolic gesture that has no particular legal significance under the Citizenship Act and does not accord any rights or require any responsibilities. For example, recipients do not take the Oath of Citizenship, hold a Canadian passport, vote in Canadian elections, enter and remain in Canada without going through the normal immigration processes, or run in provincial or federal elections.

Roshan Shah

Shah -- who holds Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card, yet was able to fought as an independent candidate in 2014 Lok Sabha polls just to show how careless Indian election machinery is as it did not even check his citizenship status -- has also been told that since honorary citizenship does not cover legal status under the Act, recipients are required to follow normal immigration processes to come to Canada.
Based on the information he has received, Shah has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs, that since the Canadian Immigration Department has "confirmed” that Akshay Kumar Bhatia (also known as Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia) who is a Bollywood filmstar has not been awarded any honorary citizenship, as he has claimed to be having and holding Canadian passport, his status should be investigated.
Shah contends, Akshay Kumar’s Canadian citizenship statement had caused alarm in Indian public. I request that Home Department file FIR against Akshay Kumar u/s 505 of IPC. If he has Canadian citizenship, the Government of India could provide his SIN number, date of citizenship and under what class he has got the citizenship, adding, the home department needs to investigate if Akshay Kumar indeed holds Canadian passport and whether he has got any OCI or has registered under FRRO.

Comments

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

The golden crop: How turmeric is transforming women's lives in tribal India

By Vikas Meshram* When the lush green fields of turmeric sway in the tribal belt of southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, it is not merely a spice crop — it is the golden glow of self-reliance. In villages where even basic spices once had to be bought from the market, the very soil today is yielding a prosperity that has transformed the lives of thousands of families. At the heart of this transformation is the initiative of Vaagdhara, which has linked turmeric with livelihoods, nutrition, and village self-governance — gram swaraj.

Beyond the election manifesto: Why climate is now a kitchen table issue

By Vikas Meshram* March has long been a month of gentle transition, the period when winter softly retreats and a mild warmth signals nature’s renewal. Yet, in recent years, this dependable rhythm has been disrupted. This year, since the beginning of March, temperatures across vast swathes of the country have shattered previous records, soaring to between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius in some regions. This is not a mere fluctuation in the weather; it is a serious and alarming indicator of climate change .

As India logs historic emissions drop, expert warns govt against 'policy blunders'

By A Representative In a significant development that underscores the rapid transformation of India's energy landscape, new data reveals the country recorded its largest drop in power sector emissions in 2025. However, a top power sector analyst has urged the Union Government to view this "silver lining" as a stark warning against continuing to invest in new coal, large hydro, and nuclear projects, which he argues could become "redundant" stranded assets.

The selective memory of a violent city: Uttam Nagar and the invisible victims of Delhi

By Sunil Kumar* Hundreds of murders take place in Delhi every year, yet only a few incidents become topics of nationwide discussion. The question is: why does this happen? Today, the incident in Uttam Nagar has become the centre of national debate. A 26-year-old man, Tarun Kumar, was killed following a dispute that reportedly began after a balloon hit a small child. In several colonies of Delhi, slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Vande Mataram” are being raised while demanding the death penalty for Tarun’s killers. As a result, nearly 50,000 residents of Hastsal JJ Colony are now living in what resembles a state of confinement.

NGO Arunoday’s journey of support and struggle: Standing firm with the distressed

By Bharat Dogra It was a situation of acute distress. Nearly ten thousand people returning to their villages during the COVID-19 pandemic had gathered at the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh near Kanha. Exhausted after walking long distances with little or no food, they were desperate for relief. Yet entry could not be granted without completing essential records and complying with pandemic rules.

How wars are undermining climate promises even as accelerating global warming

By N.S. Venkataraman* Since 1995, global climate conferences have convened annually, with the 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) held in November 2024. These gatherings attract world leaders and generate extensive media coverage, raising hopes of decisive strategies to address the climate emergency. Yet, despite lofty promises and ambitious targets, the crisis remains unabated.

Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque under siege: A test of Muslim solidarity and Palestine’s future

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* In the cacophony of Israel’s and the United States’ attack on Iran, one piece of news has been buried under the debris of war: Israel has closed the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to Palestinian worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan. The closure, announced as indefinite, affects the third most revered mosque in the Islamic world.

Search This Blog