These features have been introduced as part of the International Civil Aviation Organisation guidelines.

A day after Opposition members in the Lok Sabha raised the issue of the lotus being printed on new passports, the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said it was part of the enhanced security features to identify fake passports. The MEA said the measure would involve the use of other national symbols as well on rotation.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, M.K. Raghavan of the Congress said the matter had been highlighted in a newspaper report. He alleged that this was “further saffronisation” of the government establishment, with the lotus being the election symbol of the BJP.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, “This symbol is our national flower and is part of the enhanced security features to identify fake passports.”

These security features have been introduced as part of the International Civil Aviation Organisation guidelines, he said.

“Apart from the lotus, other national symbols will be used on rotation. Right now, it is lotus and then next month there will be something else. These are symbols connected with India, such as the national flower or the national animal,” he said.