Delhi HC issues notice to Centre on Ashok Swain’s plea over cancellation of OCI card

New Delhi [India]: Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on the plea of Ashok Swain, who teaches at a university in Sweden, challenging the cancellation of his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card.

The High Court has listed the matter for November 9.

Justice Subramonium Prasad told the central government to file a response in four weeks.
Swain, who is a professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University, Sweden, has challenged Centre’s fresh order passed on July 30 cancelling his OCI card.

The Delhi High Court had on July 10 set aside the Centre’s earlier order cancelling Swain’s OCI card.

Swain said in his plea that he cannot be “witch hunted” for his views on the present government and its policies.

Earlier, Justice Subramonium Prasad had set aside the order passed by the Centre revoking Swain’s OCI card.

“What is this order? Where is application of mind?” the High Court had said.

The court had directed the Centre to pass a detailed order within three weeks giving reasons for the action against the petitioner.

The petitioner had said in his plea earlier that the OCI card was cancelled in February 2022 because of his views critical of the government and he had not made any inflammatory speech.

The petitioner said he had never engaged in any inflammatory speech or anti-India activities. As a professor, his role is to discuss the policy of the government through his work.

It was also stated that critique of certain government policies does not tantamount to anti-India activities under the Citizenship Act, 1955.