Actor Akshay Kumar has responded to the growing controversy over his citizenship in a statement claiming that he has never hidden the fact that he holds a Canadian passport.
Akshay’s citizenship status has been called into question over the past few days with many claiming that he holds a Canadian citizenship rather than an Indian one. The debate was only amplified by his conspicuous absence from polling booths when Mumbai went to polls on 29 April despite having recently conducted a “completely non-political” interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few days prior.
I really don’t understand the unwarranted interest and negativity about my citizenship. I have never hidden or denied that I hold a Canadian passport. It is also equally true that I have not visited Canada in the last seven years. I work in India, and pay all my taxes in India. While all these years, I have never needed to prove my love for India to anyone, I find it disappointing that my citizenship issue is constantly dragged into needless controversy, a matter that is personal, legal, non-political, and of no consequence to others. I would like to continue contributing in my small way to the causes that I believe in and make India stronger and stronger.Akshay Kumar
Soon after Akshay made the statement, Anupam Kher extended support to him on Twitter.
While Akshay Kumar has so far either been evasive about his citizenship status or claimed that it is honorary (and therefore not valid), a report by the Vancouver Observer, dated 2 September 2012, alleges that Akshay Kumar was granted Canadian citizenship papers “within weeks” after applying.
The article details how some Canadians, termed the ‘Lost Canadians’, have been denied or stripped of their citizenship by the government on grounds of legal technicalities. While some of these cases go on to be resolved, the report says that there are several still awaiting their citizenship papers even as the country accepts 250,000 new immigrants each year.
The article reads, “While the majority of these cases have been resolved through the 2009 Bill C-37, An Act to Amend the Citizenship Act, some people are waiting years to receive the same citizenship papers that others – such as Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar – was granted within weeks.”
Meanwhile, in a recent clip that has been doing the rounds on social media, Akshay Kumar quickly dodges a question from a reporter who asked him for a response to those who have been criticising him for not casting his vote. Even before he could finish his question, Akshay dismissed it by saying “Chaliye beta,” while grabbing the reporter. He then says, “This is what I tell you...” to someone standing behind him. The rest of the audio, however, is unclear.
Watch the clip here:
However, while promoting his film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha in a 2017 interview with Times Now, Akshay clearly claims that his Canadian citizenship is purely honorary.
“About the Canadian thing, I am an honorary citizen. I’ve been given an honorary thing. I think it’s a thing that people should be proud about. I have an honorary doctorate also but I am not a Doctor. So this is what people have to understand,” he says.
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