Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said that the government will consider hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's passport application after due formalities.

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According to PTI, Singh said, "Government will consider Syed Ali Shah Geelani's passport application after due formalities; We have no objections".

A day ago, hours after the Union Home Ministry had said that the request will be processed on "merit" as the travel document is the "right of every Indian citizen", External Affairs Ministry asserted that "the application cannot be processed in its present form".

"We have seen media reports of Syed Ali Geelani's passport application. An incomplete passport application was received from him. Fees were not paid and the biometric details and photographs not submitted," Spokesperson in MEA Vikas Swarup said.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, meanwhile, had said Geelani will have to write 'Indian' in the nationality column to apply for the passport.

Jammu and Kashmir's ruling coalition partners PDP and BJP are sharply divided over the Geelani passport issue.

PDP has said it would approach the Centre for giving passport to Geelani on "humanitarian" grounds while BJP has said he should not be given the travel document till he "apologises" for his anti-national activities.