PM Modi's wife files RTI, seeks details of his passport

AHMEDABAD: Jashodaben Modi, 64, the estranged wife of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, filed an RTI application on Wednesday seeking details and a copy of the PM’s passports. She filed her application at the Regional Passport Office ( RPO), Ahmedabad.

The application comes after Jashodaben was denied a passport in November last year because she failed to produce her marriage certificate or a joint affidavit with her spouse. She had sought a passport to go abroad and meet relatives and friends of her family.

A relative of Jashodaben who accompanied her to the RPO on Wednesday told TOI that the PM’s wife had asked for details and a copy each of the maiden passport, renewed passports and the passport issued to Modi after he became Gujarat chief minister. “Her RTI application has also sought all related applications and documents that were submitted,” Jashodaben’s relative said.

The PM’s wife went to the RPO in an autorickshaw accompanied by her brother Ashok Modi and another relative.

She left the office in 15 minutes after submitting the application. “I have come for my personal work,” she said but did not elaborate.

Regional passport officer Z A Khan said they were scrutinizing her application. “We will give a reply within the stipulated time frame of 30 days,” Khan said. Just after Modi became PM, Jashodaben had filed an RTI application seeking details of the security she was entitled to as wife of the prime minister.

In November last year, Mehsana superintendent of police had declined to give the information saying the matter pertained to security and could not be disclosedunder RTI.