Actor Imran Khan asked to leave India by October 28 after he took part in anti-CEC protests in Mumbai

Imran Khan, who is an American national, has been asked to leave India. This comes after his participation in a protest against the Chief Election Commissioner.

The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Mumbai has asked actor Imran Khan, who was claimed to be an American citizen, to leave India by October 28.

Imran Khan was detained by the Mumbai Police on October 10 for participating in the anti-CEC protests in Mumbai. (HT Photo/Raju Shinde)

The move came after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya complained that the actor, despite having a US passport and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), had participated in Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)'s protest against chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at the August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai Central on October 10.

"The FRRO has taken the action and a notice was served to the actor Imran Khan, who is [in India] on an OCI card. The actor nephew of Bollywood star Amir Khan stays in Khar and was served the notice," said a Mumbai Police official.

FRRO is the agency responsible for regulating the registration, movement, stay, departure, and visa extensions of foreign nationals. It operates under the Bureau of Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs. It operates in close coordination with and through the police infrastructure.

BJP leader Somaiya urged Mumbai Police to verify Khan’s citizenship and questioned whether a foreign national should be taking part in a political agitation.

The actor was born and educated in the US, but earned his livelihood in India while "participating in political and diplomatic activities opposing the government," he said, according to news agency PTI.

At the protests, Imran Khan said he was not present at the protests with any specific demands, but had come forward in his capacity as "a citizen". He said he wanted to understand why freedom of movement was being restricted and why people’s voices were being suppressed.

“I don't have demands. I am here as a citizen, as a person who lives in this city. I am here to see why freedom of movement is being restricted. Why are people's voices being suppressed? That is why I am here,” the actor said in the video widely circulated on social media.

The actor, his girlfriend Lekha Washington, his mother mother Nusrat, and niece Zayn (Marie) were detained along with 400 people at during the protest, demanding the resignation of CEC Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Zayn later said in a video that she had been assaulted and manhandled by the police and showed her bruises that she suffered while she was detained.