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NEW DELHI: She wants to live with her husband, the Indian prime minister, but he does not want her to. She wants to travel abroad but the government demands a marriage certificate without which she cannot get a passport. And she cannot produce the certificate without official help that is not forthcoming.
So Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wife Jashodaben on Thursday filed an RTI application with Regional Passport Office (RPO) Ahmedabad seeking details about the marriage-related documents, Mr Modi had submitted to get his passport when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat.
The plea was made after her application for passport was rejected last November on the ground she did not produce a marriage certificate or a joint affidavit to prove that she is married to Mr Modi.
“Jashodaben came to the office today and filed an RTI application related to her passport. We will give her reply in due course,” said Regional Passport Officer Z.A. Khan.
According to her brother Ashok Modi, quoted by Press Trust of India, Ms Jashodaben filed the RTI application to know about the marriage-related documents that Mr Modi had submitted when he applied for his own passport during his tenure as Gujarat CM.
Mr Khan was quoted by PTI as saying Ms Jashodaben’s application was rejected in November last year for lack of supporting documents.
Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2016
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Comments (45) Closed
Feb 12, 2016 08:09am
Mrs. Jashodaben Modi should be able to enjoy privileges as a first lady... She seems to be very tolerant and decent person... Why is she denied her rights for so long...?
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Feb 12, 2016 08:31am
It would be interesting to see what NaMo submitted for his passport. If he claims that he is separated, Judicial separation certificate would be required to prove that. If he claims he is married, marriage certificate would be required. So lets wait and watch the fun :-)
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Feb 12, 2016 09:01am
well leagally there is not much one can do against modi, no case bec he was a minor when his parents married him, he was 17, and his wife younger
le left her and went away within a few months, if any case is to be made it will be against their parents
but at that time I am not sure what the law was, now its 18 for the girl and 21 for the boy
reg the above case its politically, bec she is uneducated, and wont know anything, someone is putting it up to her
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Feb 12, 2016 09:04am
RTI is a nice instrument that India has. Any Indian citizen can file an application and it's legally binding on the concerned department to provide the information within 30 days. Or else, the concerned official will face penal action.
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Feb 12, 2016 09:53am
Let Him serve the nation Lady ! You being a Indian citizen He will not fail you.
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Feb 12, 2016 10:02am
Seriously...
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Feb 12, 2016 10:18am
Well move Jashodaben!!
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Feb 12, 2016 10:35am
OMG wife of Indian PM not getting Passport!!! this should not be happen in any circumstances. Let her live her life at least.
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Feb 12, 2016 10:41am
It is not safe for her to travel abroad alone, without security detail. While it isn't fair, she should skip foreign travel on her own until Modi completes his PM tenure, for practical reasons.
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Feb 12, 2016 11:18am
Wife of the prime minister of India was rejected for a passport. Amazing, if the seventh brother in law of prime minster comes to a province, then the whole government machinery stops working. And here there is a situation where the PM's wife is denied a passport. Even Modi's own family including his mother have never visited his official residence. They still stay in a single bedroom flat. His brother runs a grocery shop to feed the whole family. Impossible that one member of that family is the leader of 1.3 billion people. 1/6th of mankind.
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Feb 12, 2016 11:22am
@Deepu She is not only Indian citizen but also wife of Mr. Modi, if she wants to travel abroad it is her right and should be accommodated accordingly remaining within national laws.
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Feb 12, 2016 12:15pm
@JP I believe relationship is only on papers but not practical, therefore, no any sort of threat being first lady of India. At this stage if she intends live her own life should be respected.
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Feb 12, 2016 12:36pm
This war being staged by Ms Jashodaben is bound to be won by her and all concerned no matter what else happens.
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Feb 12, 2016 12:54pm
Mrs Jashodaben, world knows you are wife of Modi.
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Feb 12, 2016 12:54pm
@Deepu Seriously ?? Any decent person would give his wife the same comfort, security and privileges that he has. It is beyond comprehension that Modi supporters blindly approve of the disrespect and denial of rights Modi has thrown at his wife.
How can you expect a man who ignores his wife's rights to give rights to rest of the citizens of his country ?
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Feb 12, 2016 01:36pm
Wow India is as bad as us then if a woman needs marriage certificates to get a passport and travel abroad.
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Feb 12, 2016 02:10pm
They are using her shoulder to take a potshot at modi. If the passport doesnt have wifes name, they will say modi did not add it, if it has it theyll say we said so.
Someone really taking the poor lady for a ride. Anyway it speaks of the system where even the PMs wife is asked for documents.
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Feb 12, 2016 02:34pm
@Habeeb Khan Its not only about women in India, even married men need to submit a proof of marriage or affidavit along with marriage photographs in case marriage certificate/proof is not available.
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Feb 12, 2016 02:46pm
My understanding is that there are no material proof available from the marriage, as it happened long ago, when marriages were not registered. So all that she is saying is, hey, use the proof that Mr. Modi has provided to grant me a passport. Sounds logical to me.
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Feb 12, 2016 02:49pm
Largest Democracy!
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Feb 12, 2016 03:07pm
@Habeeb Khan That is because the Indian passport has a page for details of spouse. If one (M/F) is married and wants spouse details to be entered there proof of marriage is a must. If not, it need not be produced. I suspect Modi did not disclose that he had a spouse. That's ok by law but not
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Feb 12, 2016 03:18pm
@Habeeb Khan in Pakistan women does not need marriage certificate...=== ? Where did u ever heard that ?
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Feb 12, 2016 04:42pm
@The Right Left you see right what he is doing for country ..
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Feb 12, 2016 04:43pm
@Ahmed USA i think you brush up your knowledge on indian constitution , prez is the first man not priminister
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Feb 12, 2016 04:56pm
She will never give up it seems, old people in india... never agreed with concept of divorce. Though for many decades they havent seen each other, still she considers him only as husband. Modiji dont want marriage, so its very good that he left it ( unless it wud have been worst kind of cheating), but he must keep taking care of her, roaming or any other comfort. She is great lady and totally devoted to him, such quality is rarest of rare to find. But I totally support those ppl also who take divorce and start new life afresh.
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Feb 12, 2016 05:15pm
For your information, this so-called marriage is not valid under INDIAN Law because it was a CHILD MARRIAGE, hence NUL & VOID... Period...
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Feb 12, 2016 05:31pm
A marriage is a marriage regardless of their age in old day. its not just for fun its unity between two people. How come Mr Modi cannot support his own wife but pretend to support big nation as India.
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Feb 12, 2016 08:15pm
NaMo never claims he is a saint. he says i am a proud hindu and a nationalist. what he delivers is of importance to me and what is his personal life is of no importance. If she is the legal wife and not separated from him then she should stay with him. if he is not providing the rights to her she has the right to file for divorce.
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Feb 12, 2016 09:12pm
This matter can get complicated for Modi ji, if Jashodha Ben follows her passport application to its finality.
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Feb 12, 2016 09:44pm
Is it true that a woman needs a husband or his permission to get a passport in in INDIA?
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Feb 12, 2016 10:15pm
@Jaleel No it isn't true that a husband's permission is needed. Only proof of marriage is required , IF the person has claimed to be married, in the passport application.
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Feb 12, 2016 10:24pm
I am surprised that so many Indian readers here are implying that Jashodaben is in the wrong somehow by applying for the RTI as if it's an attack on Modi. For all intents and purposes they were married, Modi abandoned her, it wasn't her fault that he left her. Now she wants a passport, it's her right to have it. She was refused one earlier. All she is asking is if Modi can get one why can't she have it too. It's going to be interesting to find out what status Modi claimed in his passport application. If Married then similarly why she hasn't been granted the passport; if unmarried then he would be lying; if separated then why does She have to provide a certificate when Modi did not do so. Either way Modi is going to be embarrassed.
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Feb 12, 2016 11:12pm
Very simple and decent lady.
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Feb 13, 2016 12:10am
Its Simple, If Modi is married the his Wife is married too. If not then she should file that she is single. Other than this she should file case for annulling the marriage and get certificate.
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Feb 13, 2016 12:24am
@Rustom E Hind Discrimination in legal age limits! Wow! Who came up with that? Or do they just want younger wives. That's messed up.
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Feb 13, 2016 02:09am
It comes as no surprise to me that India is known to be one of the worst places to be a woman -apparently even the First Lady!
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Feb 13, 2016 02:12am
@realist there's a different between nationalism and Hindu nationalism.
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Feb 13, 2016 02:17am
@Habeeb Khan that is factually incorrect. Pakistan does not require that
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Feb 13, 2016 02:54am
@Rustom E Hind She is uneducated and therefore no rights. Thats what u r saying?
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Feb 13, 2016 03:44am
While I am not a NaMo Bhakt, opposition should not try to get mileage out of his marriage. Both have sacrificed their lives for the system...no one to blame.It is a complicated situation.
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Feb 13, 2016 07:53am
@Rustom E Hind She is not uneducated, you dolt. She was a teacher. She retired a few years ago.
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Feb 13, 2016 07:54am
@Sam "seventh brother in law of prime minster comes to a province, then the whole government machinery stops working" that happens in Pakistan, not in India under Modi regime. Go check your facts again.
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Feb 13, 2016 11:15am
Indian officials are not treating her with the respect she deserves. They should behave more sensibly, instead of behaving like " lakeer ke fakeer".
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Feb 13, 2016 01:23pm
@Jaleel No.
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Feb 14, 2016 07:01pm
Those who do not respect women , their own wives and their rights or Minorities rights, have no right to rule as PM
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