India, June 26 -- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday criticised the Centre's clarification that a passport is not conclusive proof of Indian citizenship, calling the situation an "absurd legal paradox" and urging a legislative overhaul to end what he described as a "fatuous" controversy.

His remarks came a day after the government reiterated that a passport has never been treated as proof of citizenship and that no policy change had been made in recent years. The clarification followed a debate sparked by comments from the ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Passport Seva Divas.

In a detailed post on X, Tharoor said the MEA's clarification had led to "public bewilderment and political sparring". While acknowledging that the governme...