Rajagopal passport row: Kerala CM seeks Bengal govt intervention after SIR-linked delay

A day after former The Telegraph editor R Rajagopal highlighted the difficulties he faced during his passport renewal process, Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan wrote to his West Bengal counterpart seeking urgent intervention in the matter.

Rajagopal’s name was removed from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal. His passport renewal application was reportedly delayed after an adverse police verification report linked to the deletion of his name, drawing criticism from journalists and political leaders.

Satheesan’s letter

In his letter, Satheesan said the police report appeared to be based on Rajagopal’s removal from the electoral rolls during the SIR process. “I understand that the adverse report is based on the deletion of his name from the electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision. While the electoral issue is being addressed through the appropriate appeal process, I am informed that the police report has resulted in a delay in the renewal of his passport,” Satheesan wrote.

Also read: One year of SIR: Nearly 6 crore deletions, legal battle and migrants' agony

He urged his West Bengal counterpart to look into the matter on priority.

Rajagopal, a journalist from Kerala who has been based in Kolkata for nearly three decades, is the son of Professor V Ramadas, former state secretary of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi in Kerala and a respected public figure.

Opposition alleges political vendetta

Kerala Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan described the delay in passport renewal as “shocking” and alleged that it was an act of political vendetta.

In a statement, Vijayan said Rajagopal’s application was held up because his name was no longer present in the electoral roll. He alleged that the journalist’s family had faced retaliation due to his criticism of the BJP.

Vijayan said Rajagopal was among around 27 lakh people whose names were removed or referred for verification during the SIR exercise in the Ballygunge Assembly constituency in Kolkata.

Also read: Delhi SIR begins June 30; 13,000 BLOs to verify details of 1.45 crore voters

He said Rajagopal had challenged the deletion before a tribunal. According to Vijayan, although the journalist received a notice to appear before the regional passport office, the appointment was scheduled only for July 17, affecting his plans to attend his daughter’s wedding in California.

“If this is the experience of a globally known editor, one can only imagine the plight of ordinary citizens in this country,” Vijayan said.

Rajagopal’s account

In a detailed note shared by journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta on X, Rajagopal said he was left in a “state of civic uncertainty” after his name was removed from the electoral rolls due to alleged “logical discrepancies”.

He said he could not trace either his own name or that of his late father in the 2002 voters’ list and had been forced to search for decades-old family records to establish his credentials.

Also read: Passport, citizenship, and the SIR debate: Why the govt’s stand faces scrutiny

Rajagopal said that despite submitting documents, including his matriculation certificate, his appeal against the deletion was pending before a tribunal. He added that the adverse police report citing the electoral roll issue had delayed his passport renewal.

Clarifying that he was not presenting himself as a victim, Rajagopal said his experience highlighted the difficulties faced by ordinary citizens, especially those with fewer resources, when caught in such bureaucratic processes.

Political reactions

Rajagopal’s account triggered reactions from opposition leaders, who criticised the SIR exercise and raised concerns over its impact on citizens.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor welcomed Satheesan’s intervention, saying that while the issue may technically fall under the Union government’s jurisdiction, cases involving alleged miscarriage of justice require collective attention.

He said such incidents, including earlier complaints regarding SIR-related issues, were a matter of concern.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said the episode reflected “the level of irrationality” the country had reached. “Are we determined to remove the tag of a nation governed by the rule of law so assiduously curated by our founding fathers! What a pity!!” he wrote on X.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose described Rajagopal’s experience as “shocking” and “heart-rending”. “If this can happen to R Rajagopal, former editor of The Telegraph, imagine what citizens with far fewer resources are enduring,” she said.

(With agency inputs)