Imran Khan may have to leave India amid citizenship row:Akshay Kumar, Adnan Sami also faced similar issue; Alia and Katrina are not Indian citizens; know the rules

A complaint has been filed against actor Imran Khan for participating in a protest despite not being an Indian citizen. The Mumbai Police have reportedly directed him to leave the country by October 28. However, this is not the first time a celebrity’s citizenship has sparked controversy. The citizenship status of several stars, including Akshay Kumar, Adnan Sami and Diljit Dosanjh, has been the subject of public debate. While some acquired Indian citizenship after previously holding foreign citizenship, others gave up their Indian citizenship. There are also celebrities such as Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif who have worked in India for years but do not hold Indian citizenship. Amid Imran Khan’s recent controversy, here is the story of celebrity disputes related to citizenship- First, understand the real reason why Imran Khan was asked to leave India- These 3 actors, like Imran Khan, were also ordered to leave the country for violating rules- 1. Actor Chetan Kumar Ahimsa- Action was taken against him for making anti-national statements Kannada actor and social activist Chetan Kumar Ahimsa, also known as Chetan Kumar, was embroiled in a controversy over his OCI card in 2023. Chetan is an American citizen and had been living in Karnataka for a long time with the help of his OCI card, working in films and on social issues. Chetan made anti-India statements on social media in 2023, following which action was taken against him. In March 2023, the central government decided to cancel his OCI facility. This meant that he would not be allowed to live and work in India. He challenged the decision, and in April 2023, the Karnataka High Court stayed the order cancelling his OCI card. 2. Bangladeshi actor Ferdous Ahmed: Ordered to leave the country for campaigning in an election Bangladeshi actor Ferdous Ahmed became embroiled in controversy after campaigning for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) during the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal in April 2019. He worked in the Bengali film industry and was in India on a business visa at the time. According to media reports, Ferdous Ahmed was seen taking part in a roadshow and campaigning in support of TMC candidate Kanhaiya Lal Agarwal from the Raiganj Lok Sabha seat. The BJP lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, questioning the involvement of a foreign national in election campaigning. Following this, the Union Home Ministry cancelled his business visa and issued him a notice to leave India. The authorities initiated action against him for violating visa regulations. According to reports, he was also blacklisted. Firdaus Ahmed later left India and issued an unconditional apology, describing his participation in the election campaign as an inadvertent mistake. 3. Gazi Abdul Noor – Stayed in India after his visa expired and took part in election campaigning Bangladeshi actor Gazi Abdul Noor, also written as Gazi Abdun Noor, became embroiled in a controversy related to election campaigning in West Bengal in April 2019. He was known for his performance in the Bengali television show ‘Rani Rashmoni’. Noor was seen campaigning at a rally in support of Trinamool Congress candidate Sougata Roy from the Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP raised the matter with the Election Commission. After this, the Union Home Ministry issued him a notice to leave India. According to media reports, his visa expired on 6 July 2018, but he remained in India for around nine months after that. Officials viewed this as a violation of visa rules and asked him to return to Bangladesh and apply for a new visa. Also read about these three major controversies involving celebrities linked to citizenship- Diljit Dosanjh gave up his Indian citizenship and is now an American citizen Associated with projects such as Amar Singh Chamkila, Good Newwz and Border 2, Diljit held Indian citizenship until 2018, although he acquired US citizenship in 2022. He has been an American passport holder ever since. India does not permit dual citizenship, so he now uses an e-visa to visit India and does not have an OCI (OCI) card. Akshay Kumar once held Canadian citizenship, acquired Indian citizenship amid controversy Akshay Kumar’s citizenship became a major issue during the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Born in Amritsar, Akshay Kumar obtained Canadian citizenship early in his career. He was not getting good work in India, so he became a Canadian citizen and began working there. Later, his film career took off again in India, but he retained his Canadian citizenship and did not complete the documentation. He continued to travel on his Canadian passport. In response to the controversy, Akshay said he had never hidden the fact that he held a Canadian passport. He also said that having to repeatedly prove that he was Indian hurt him. Amid the controversy, Akshay Kumar applied for Indian citizenship. On 15 August 2023, he confirmed that he had been granted Indian citizenship. He gave up his Canadian citizenship. Adnan Sami was born in London, held Pakistani citizenship, then became an Indian citizen Adnan Sami was born in London and was a Pakistani citizen. He later acquired Indian citizenship. In fact, Adnan Sami came to India from Pakistan in 2001. Given the tense relations between India and Pakistan, his living and working in India while holding Pakistani citizenship remained controversial. When his Pakistani passport expired in 2015, he began the process of staying in India and obtaining Indian citizenship. He was granted Indian citizenship on 1 January 2016. He thereby officially became an Indian citizen. What are the rules on dual citizenship in India? India has an important legal provision governing citizenship. Under the Constitution of India and the Citizenship Act, 1955, there is generally no provision allowing a person to hold Indian and another country’s citizenship simultaneously, although some other countries permit dual citizenship. If an Indian citizen voluntarily acquires the citizenship of another country, their Indian citizenship ceases under Section 9 of the Citizenship Act. How do celebrities work in India without Indian citizenship? Find out in 3 points- 1. OCI cards allow them to live in India
Some artists of Indian origin, such as Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif and Imran Khan, hold foreign citizenship. Eligible foreign nationals can use an OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card to live in India and participate in various economic, educational and other activities. However, an OCI card is not Indian citizenship and does not grant political rights. 2. What is required to work in films?
Permission for foreign nationals to work in India depends on their nationality, immigration status and applicable rules. OCI cardholders receive facilities for economic, educational and other activities in India that differ from those available to ordinary foreign nationals. Other foreign artists, meanwhile, must comply with the applicable visa and permission-related rules based on their work and status of stay in India. 3. Foreign citizenship does not mean receiving all rights in India
Artists holding foreign passports can work in films in India, but they do not enjoy all the same rights as Indian citizens. They cannot vote or contest elections in India solely on the basis of their foreign citizenship or OCI card. They must also comply with the applicable rules on participation in political activities.

Do Katrina and Alia get exemptions if they marry Indian citizens? No, Katrina Kaif married Vicky Kaushal, who holds Indian citizenship, while Alia married Ranbir Kapoor. However, this does not grant them any special exemption. Under Section 5(1)(c) of the Citizenship Act, they can apply for citizenship only after fulfilling the requirement of seven years of ordinary residence.