NEW DELHI: Karnataka Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah
wrote to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
on Wednesday regarding the
diplomatic passport
held by JD(S) leader
Prajwal Revanna
.
In a letter, Siddaramaiah urged the PM to instruct the
Ministry of External Affairs
and the Ministry of Home Affairs to consider cancelling Hegde’s diplomatic passport amid an ongoing probe into allegations of a
sex scandal
involving the JD(S) leader.
What is a diplomatic passport?
A diplomatic passport is granted to diplomats and senior government officials by the Consular, Passport and Visa (CPV) division for going abroad on official assignments or visits.
Diplomatic and official passports have a validity period up to 5 years. The exact duration depends on factors such as the passport holder’s position and the purpose of their assignment or visit.
Provided that the application forms for both the Diplomatic/Official passport and the visa note requests are submitted correctly and contain all necessary information, the processing time is typically between 3 to 5 working days.
Diplomatic and official passports are also provided by the relevant Regional Passport Offices (RPOs), but only after obtaining approval from the CPV Division.
Diplomatic passport applicants are generally entertained at the PSP Division located in Patiala House, New Delhi. However, applicants can apply at the Passport Office that corresponds to their current address of residence.
Benefits of the diplomatic passport
- The diplomatic passports allow the holders to bypass the usual immigration procedures.
- It enables holders to clear formalities more quickly and efficiently compared to regular travelers.
- Individuals possessing a Diplomatic passport who are traveling to foreign countries for official reasons are usually exempt from paying visa fees.
Diplomatic passports for MPs
Diplomatic Passports are granted to Members of Parliament and their spouses by the CPV Division, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), located at Patiala House, New Delhi, according to the latest Rajya Sabha buletin.
To obtain a Diplomatic Passport, Members and their spouses are required to submit an online application through the MEA’s website. After completing the online form, they must print and sign the application before sending it to either the Conference & Protocol Section (Room No.527, Parliament House Annexe, Tel. No.23034527) or the Notice Office, Parliament House. Along with the signed application, applicants must include two recent colored photographs (size 4.5 x 3.5 cm) with a white background.
If Members or their spouses have been issued any other passport in their names, they are advised to enclose those passports with the application forms for safekeeping.
Documents required for Diplomatic Passport
- As per the Indian passport website, following are the documents required for a diplomatic passport:
- Applicant’s Official Identity (ID) Card (or that of the Head of Office)
- Certificate issued by the Head of Office.
- Official Request Letter from Forwarding Officer.
- Political/PMO Clearance Certificate, if applicable
- In case re-issue of passport- Original Diplomatic/Official Passport for cancellation. If the same is kept in the safe custody of the ministry of external affairs (MEA), the original surrender/safe custody certificate is required. However, if the same has been cancelled by MEA, the original cancellation certificate shall be submitted.
The documents should be placed in the following order:
1. Printed copy of online filled application form
2. Political/PMO Clearance
3. Copy of Identity (ID) Card
4. Certificate from Head of Office
5. Request from Forwarding Officer
6. Other Relevant Documents
