Intel blocks passport of Ambedkar's follower

JALANDHAR: The intelligence wing of Punjab police has blocked the clearance for renewal of passport to 85-year-old writer and journalist Lahori Ram Balley even as he had four passports in the past 47 years and visited foreign countries several times.
Balley said he was unaware of the reason for adverse intelligence report against him as applications filed under the RTI Act had not yielded any result.
Balley, one of the few surviving followers of the architect of the Indian Constitution B R Ambedkar in Punjab who had a chance to work with him for around five years, has authored around 25 books and 75 booklets and also translated his prominent works including 'Annihilation of Caste' into various languages. He is also the editor of 'Bheem Patrika' which he founded in 1958 and happens to be the oldest periodical of dalit literature.
"I had given a word to Ambedkar at his residence that I'll dedicate myself to his mission. The day he died on December 6, 1956, I resigned from my government job in the department of posts and telephone to keep that promise," he told TOI. On August 23 last year, Balley was given lifetime achievement award by Dr Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad (Maharashtra).
He also wrote to Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to help him out as his efforts to know the reasons for adverse report against from the ADGP (intelligence) and Jalandhar commissioner of police went in vain. "I have never been convicted nor have I taken part in any anti-national activity. I have been active during my last 50 years of public life. Nothing ever has been conveyed to me by the police," he wrote in his letter to Badal. He is yet to get any response from CM's office or from the police.
He applied for a new passport on May 9, 2014 in lieu of his old passport which is expiring on February 13, 2015. But the Jalandar regional passport office on June 2 last year informed that there was adverse police verification report (PVR) against him. The RPO stated that police report had mentioned Balley had travelled abroad previously and he should give the details that he possessed another passport and asked him to furnish the details as he fraudulently obtained another passport giving a fake name and other personal details.
Balley met the regional passport officer and also gave in writing the details of successive four passports he had been issued since 1967 while debunking the allegations of obtaining any passport fraudulently.
While office of ADGP (Intelligence) declined to give copy of the adverse report against Balley on the ground that the department was exempted from providing information under the RTI Act and advised him get a copy of PVR from Jalandhar commissioner's office. But in response to his RTI application, the deputy commissioner of police informed Balley that it had adverse intelligence report received from ADGP (intelligence) that was sent to RPO.
Cases against Balley
Balley disclosed that he had faced three cases for his writings. "One was registered in Jalandhar for my article "Ravana versus Ram" on November 27, 2010, and which was later withdrawn by the police on July 29, 2011. One case each was registered at Kullu and Jalandhar for his booklet 'Rangeela Gandhi'. The case at Kullu was registered on February 4, 2010, and the Jalandhar case was filed on February 23, 2010. The one at Kullu was dismissed by the court while in Jalandhar the then commissioner of police had ordered cancellation of the case in October 2010, but still the challan was presented in the court that is still under trial. "In both the books I have quoted Ambedkar and other prominent works, but can they really block a writer from having a passport on these reasons?" asks Balley.