Lotus on passports as part of security features, other national symbols to be used on rotation: MEA
New Delhi, Dec 12: A day after Opposition members in Lok Sabha raised the issue of lotus being printed on new passports, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said it was part of the enhanced security features to identify fake passports and involves using other national symbols as well on rotation.
Raising this issue of lotus being printed on new passports brought for distribution in Kozhikode in Kerala during the Zero Hour, M K Raghavan of the Congress said the matter has been highlighted by one of the newspapers and alleged that this was "further saffronisation" of the government establishment with the lotus being the election symbol of the BJP.
Asked about the issue, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "This symbol is our national flower and is part of the enhanced security features to identify fake passports."
These security features have been introduced as part of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines, he said.
"Apart from the Lotus, other national symbols will be used on rotation. Right now it is lotus and then next month there will be something else. These are symbols connected with India such as national flower or national animal," he said.
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Dharwad: Tibetan monk found murdered; body suspected to have been dumped
Dharwad: A 39-year-old Tibetan monk was found murdered on the outskirts of Dharwad, with police suspecting that the body was dumped to mislead investigators, Asianet News reported.
The deceased has been identified as Tashi Dhondup, a resident of Mundgod in Uttara Kannada district. His body was discovered on the afternoon of April 29 along Haliyal Road after passers-by alerted police.
Initially, officers from the Dharwad Rural Police Station suspected a road accident. However, a post-mortem examination later confirmed it was a case of murder.
Police believe Tashi Dhondup may have been killed elsewhere late the previous night, and that his body was later transported and left by the roadside.
Police have intensified the investigation to ascertain the motive and identify those responsible. Teams are analysing CCTV footage from nearby areas and questioning local residents.
Further investigation is underway.
