New Delhi: A day after thousands attended a rally against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commission’s handling of the special intensive revision, a former Bengaluru top cop has asked the Union home ministry to verify YouTuber Dhruv Rathee’s ‘visa credentials’. Rathee was one of the attendees at the rally.Former Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao has urged the home secretary to verify Rathee’s citizenship, immigration status and compliance with visa conditions, appearing to stress that his protest was against the Election Commission.It is noteworthy that Rathee was not the sole speaker or protester at the event, which takes place in the background of a countrywide movement against the Election Commission and CEC.The October 8 Bengaluru rally, as reported by The Wire, featured a “people’s tribunal”, where people from across Karnataka raised concerns over alleged wrongful deletions from voter lists. The tribunal was followed by a “chappal protest”.“This is my first protest. When I landed yesterday, I saw that social media posts were going viral saying Dhruv Rathee is coming to change the regime. Narendra Modi must be thinking I have a problem with him, but the entire nation has a problem with him,” Rathee said at the protests.Times of India has noted in its report that Rao had unsuccessfully contested the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections on a BJP ticket from Chamararajpet.He has shared his letter on his X handle with the following caption:Drastic Action needs to be taken against those who fly into, intrude and illegally cross into Bharat and create a mayhem at the behest of Powers inimical to the interest of our Nation.We are a Zero Punishment country where anyone can do anything and get away.I have requested Home Secretary of India to verify Visa credentials of Dhruv Rathee who has participated in Political Protests to undermine Constitutional body of India.Rao has also tweeted the lengthy letter as an image.“The limited and specific issue requiring examination is whether a foreign national, while present in India on the basis of a particular visa, immigration permission or other status, is legally entitled to participate in, address or otherwise associate himself with an organised political protest concerning the functioning of India’s constitutional and statutory institutions,” Rao said in the letter.Rao has asked the ministry to verify Rathee’s current citizenship, the passport he used to enter India, his visa category or other permission to stay in the country, the declared purpose of his visit and the conditions governing his stay. He also asked if Rathee complied with immigration and visa rules, and whether prior permission or clearance was required.If any violation of the Foreigners Act, 1946, visa conditions, immigration regulations, OCI rules or other applicable laws was established, appropriate action should be taken in accordance with the law, he said.Rao claimed that his letter was not motivated by disagreement with Rathee’s political views or criticism of the government or the Election Commission, but apparently to ensure that foreign nationals complied with the legal framework governing their presence and activities in India.For our full coverage on the SIR and the issues it has brought to citizens, click here.