Bengaluru, 10 July 

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking his immediate intervention against the State government issuing Permanent Residence Certificate (PRCs) amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.  

Issuing such certificates without proper citizenship verification could facilitate the integration of illegal immigrants into the State's administrative framework, posing a serious threat to national security and public order, the Karnataka MP stated, alleging that it undermined the uniform framework governing citizenship and internal security across the country.

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar recently announced that the State government would issue permanent residence certificates to help eligible citizens pass through the SIR underway in the State. This would constitute proof of residence and citizens can apply both online and offline. 

However, the Union Minister of state for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises stated in the letter dated 8 July that Constitution envisages one citizenship for all citizens, and the introduction of contrary to this. 

She said the PRC sought to create a separate category of "permanent residents" without any constitutional or statutory authority. "Such a classification is arbitrary, lacks a rational nexus with any legitimate constitutional objective, and violates Article 14 of the Constitution”.

"Consequently, people who have illegally entered India or are residing unlawfully in the State may, by producing local documents or through fraudulent means, secure a PRC," she added, calling it a “serious threat to national security”.