Authorities in India have ordered actor Imran Khan, nephew of Bollywood star Aamir Khan, to leave the country by 28 October after he participated in a protest, seeking electoral reforms.
An American citizen, Khan holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card, which allows people of Indian origin to visit and stay in the country. But an OCI cannot vote or contest elections.
"Imran Khan participated in the agitation at Mumbai's August Kranti Maidan, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar," police said in a statement on Thursday.
Khan's lawyer has said the actor will challenge the order in the Bombay High Court.
Police said the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office (FRRO) had served Khan a notice for violating laws by protesting.
But the actor's lawyer said that no provision of the law or any rule for OCI cardholders prohibit him from participating in a protest.
The Press Trust of India reports that the actor's petition against the Mumbai police notice termed it as "drastic".
Khan is known for the 2008 hit romantic comedy Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na.
He first appeared as a child actor in popular films such as Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak in 1988 and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar in 1992.
Since his debut as a lead actor in 2008, he has starred in a number of films like I Hate Luv Storys, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Delhi Belly.
The notice to leave the country comes as Khan returns to acting this year with the Netflix film Adhure Hum Adhure Tum after a hiatus of over a decade.
On 10 October, the actor participated in the protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) - a wider GenZ-led movement that has been holding demonstrations for days seeking electoral reforms and the resignation of India's top election official over allegations of vote fraud. India's poll panel denies these charges.
"Imran Khan had participated in the agitation despite not being an Indian citizen," police said in their statement.
The complaint against Khan was lodged by Kirit Somaiya, a leader of India's and the state's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who accused the actor of being "involved in a conspiracy to spread anarchy in India".
Khan did not address Somaiya's allegation directly, but had spoken to reporters about his participation in the protest.
"I don't have demands. I'm here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city. I'm here to see why freedom of movement is being restricted, why people's voices are being suppressed," he'd said.
He added that he was not at the protest as the representative of any organisation.
Following the protest, Khan was briefly detained by the police along with other protesters.
He posted a photo of himself inside the police detention van on Instagram with the caption, "Apparently I'm going for a drive." The post received more than two million likes on the social media platform.
Over the weekend, thousands of protesters had marched in Delhi, Mumbai and other parts of India, demanding the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar ahead of crucial state elections in response to the CJP's call.
On Monday, leaders of many of India's main opposition parties, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, led thousands of protesters in a march from Connaught Place to the Supreme Court in Delhi.
On Wednesday, two top CJP leaders were sent to jail for five days after being arrested for allegedly trespassing at a protest site in Delhi.
The CJP has called for another protest on Friday evening in the capital.
Source: BBC
--Agencies
