Updated
Lucknow, Jun 21 (PTI): The regional passport office here today transferred an official accused of humiliating an interfaith couple and expressed regret over the incident.
Regional passport officer Piyush Verma said a show cause notice has been issued to the officer and he has been transferred with immediate effect.
Verma said passports were issued to the couple-- Mohammad Anas Siddiqui and Tanvi Seth, after he met them in his office here.
"We have also sent the report to the Ministry of External Affairs for further action," Verma said assuring necessary action against the official.
The RPO expressed regret over the incident and assured that it would not be repeated.
The couple had yesterday taken to micro-blogging site Twitter to share their harrowing experience of how the erring officer questioned Seth for not changing her surname after marrying a Muslim.
In a series of tweets to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Seth spoke about the "high handedness" of the official and also sought her intervention.
"I was told my passport cannot be issued because I have married a Muslim and did not change my surname. I asked what I should do now and I was told to change my surname in all documents," Seth told newspersons.
"The said official while interviewing me spoke very loudly and in a very humiliating manner in view of a lot of people," she rued.
"I do not know if he had any personal grudge...he started asking questions just after he saw our names," Siddiqui said.
"We had applied for passport and after going through all the formalities, I went for the final verification and the official there made absurd queries over my marriage as I have not changed my surname...he said that it is duty of every woman to change her surname after marriage and used demeaning language besides making gestures...," Tanvi alleged.
Earlier Report
Inter-faith couple alleges shocking harassment at Lucknow passport office
New Delhi, Jun 21 (IT): An inter-faith couple has alleged that they faced harassment at the local passport office in Lucknow. Twitter user Tanvi Seth, in a series of tweets, reiterated the incident and tagged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Tanvi alleged that she was mistreated because she was married to a Muslim and had not changed her surname even after 12 years of marriage.
She claimed that passport officer Mr. Vikas Mishra spoke to her rudely and was loud enough for others to hear the discussion pertaining to her case.
While checking the couple's documents, Mr Sharma apparently said "apke saath to masla hai. Apne Muslim se shaadi ki hai toh aapka naam Tanvi Seth kaise ho sakta hai? (There is an issue here. You married a Muslim man then how can your name be Tanvi Seth?)".
To this Tanvi answered that it is her personal choice. "I have not changed my name. I have been married for 12 years and all the documents I have are on my maiden name. There is no law where a woman is forced to change her name,” read the mail the couple sent to Sushma Swaraj which Tanvi's husband posted on Twitter.
Tanvi said that she was told that it is her duty to change her name after marriage.
"I have never felt so insulted in the last 12 years of my marriage with my husband. It is my personal choice to choose a name I want to after marriage. This is our family matter and last thing I expected to hear at the passport office was it is your duty to change your name after marriage,” she tweeted.
Calling it a clear case of "moral policing/religious prejudice", Tanvi said the officer had both both their passports on hold.
The passport department has called for explanation from the passport official for his behaviour with Anas and his wife Tanvi Seth. The passport official has also been transferred to Gomitnagar passport office and asked to submit a written apology.