SIR-linked passport denial creates a disqualification Parliament never enacted: CPI(M) leader John Brittas
CPI(M) leader John Brittas has challenged the denial of a passport to a journalist whose name was removed from electoral rolls during a Special Intensive Revision. He argues that administrative actions regarding voter lists should not override constitutional rights to travel.
Why it matters
This raises constitutional questions about the intersection of administrative processes and fundamental rights like the freedom of movement.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha leader John Brittas has said that denial of passport to a citizen whose name was deleted from the electoral rolls in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) extends beyond an individual grievance and raises broader constitutional questions about the administration of the Passports Act, 1967. In a letter to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday (June 29, 2026), Mr. Brittas urged the Minister to intervene in the case of senior journalist and former Telegraph editor Rajagopal Ramadas, who was denied renewal of his passport since his name was deleted from the electoral rolls in the ongoing SIR in West Bengal .
The article focuses on the perspective of an opposition leader criticizing government administrative procedures.
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