As an MP, Vijay Mallya entitled to diplomatic passport

NEW DELHI: Industrialist Vijay Mallya, who allegedly travelled on a diplomatic passport to London earlier this month, is entitled to such a document as a Member of Parliament. MPs can apply for diplomatic passports and they don't need to seek clearance from the ministry of external affairs for overseas trips on personal grounds.

Members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are entitled to diplomatic passports if they apply for them, according to the rules.

Mallya is an independent MP in the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka and his serving his second term.

The Parliament secretariat approaches the MEA’s Parliament and Coordination Division and Consular & Passport Division on behalf of MPs for seeking clearances and suggestions ahead of their trips abroad on invitations from national legislatures, on study tours and to speak and participate at forums all across the globe. “They seek the MEA’s advice on the level of participation on such platforms and the importance of such forums... The ministry in turn seeks advice from Indian embassies in host countries and accordingly makes suggestions,” an official said.

Experts and senior diplomats told ET that as the legislature is technically placed on a higher pedestal than the executive, MPs are not under compulsion to apprise the MEA about their private tours. It is understood that Mallya did not approach the ministry ahead of his current trip to the UK. An official said Mallya would not have approached the passport division for a note verbale to travel to the UK if he had a valid visa for that country.