SIR: Vijayendra alleges PRCs will benefit illegal immigrants; State says no question of citizenship

Alleging that the Karnataka government’s decision to issue Permanent Residence Certificates (PRCs) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) was a “devious strategy to protect illegal immigrants and consolidate its vote-bank”, State BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra on Saturday said his party would challenge the move in court and petition the Governor, calling it “illogical” and “unconstitutional”. 

Mr. Vijayendra argued that the power and authority to prepare the National Register of Citizens (NRC) or issue PRCs vests with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs after establishing whether a person is a bona fide citizen or not. 

Deputy Chief Minister and Revenue Minister G. Parameshwara, however, dismissed the allegation, saying a State government neither has the power to grant citizenship nor can a PRC be equated with one. The Revenue Department is the issuing authority for PRCs.

“The question of Bangladeshis does not arise here. Citizenship is a national issue. Can a State government grant citizenship to Bangladeshi nationals? There are specific legal provisions in cases where a Bangladeshi national marries an Indian citizen. Apart from such legally defined circumstances, the State government cannot grant citizenship to Bangladeshis or citizens of any other country,” the Deputy Chief Minister said. 

He said the State government would verify the necessary documents before issuing PRCs. “Even caste certificates are issued by the State government. The Union government has not issued any such certificates so far. What is wrong with that? The BJP is trying to politicise every issue,” he said.

Mr. Vijayendra, meanwhile, said he would shortly convene a meeting of the BJP’s legal team to discuss ways and means to challenge the “patently unconstitutional and illogical move” of the Congress government.

The State BJP president also accused the Congress of “double standards and duplicity” on the issue of the NRC and PRCs. “When the BJP government at the Centre wanted to exercise its constitutional rights of preparing the NRC, the Congress party opposed it and raised a hue and cry,” Mr. Vijayendra said. 

“The task of establishing citizenship under the Indian Citizenship Act is purely and solely that of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. I charge the Congress government not only of working cross-purposes with the Union government but also of usurping the powers and authority of the Centre solely for political considerations,” the BJP leader said. 

Residence certification vs citizenship

It is to be noted that the argument conflates citizenship verification with residence certification. A Permanent Residence Certificate is not a citizenship document and does not grant citizenship to any individual. It is a State-issued document that certifies a person’s long-term association with the State, with the Tahsildar being the ‘competent authority’ to issue it. 

Unlike a regular Residence Certificate, which can be obtained using documents such as Aadhaar, ration card, electricity or water bills, or a rental agreement to establish a person’s current address, a Permanent Residence Certificate requires stronger proof of a person’s connection with the State.

It can be established through records such as having lived in the State for several years, studying in Karnataka for more than six years, parents residing in the State, property ownership or other supporting documents that establish a long-standing link with Karnataka. 

These requirements make PRCs more stringent than ordinary residence certificates and are intended to ensure that the document is issued only to those who can establish a long-term connection with the State. The certificate, however, does not determine citizenship, which is governed by the Indian Citizenship Act and falls under the jurisdiction of the Union government.