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.
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| Roshan Shah |
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.
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