Advocate S.N. Jha, who assisted US citizen Jeff Knaebel, to understand the procedure while arguing his request for “politcial asylum” in the SC, claimed that the American, who fought in Vietnam, was “deeply
influenced” by the life and philosophy of Gandhi and has undertaken 13,000 km “padyatra (march on foot)” criss-crossing India during his 15 years stay in the country. Mr Jha said Knaebel had given a representation to the PM for “political asylum” but his plea was not considered by the PMO and in the absence of any travel documents now, the police was “disturbing” him.
According to Jha, while destroying his documents at Gandhi Samadhi on June 19, 2009 following which he was detained for questioning by the police, the American had said “I renounce my citizenship and reject all claims of whatsoever nature made by the US against me.”
“I hereby destroy my US passport by which the US government claims control of my movement upon this earth, and thus lays claim upon my right to exist. I will place the shredded remains of my passport upon the monument of Gandhi. I have chosen this monument because it is a symbol that mankind can recognise: of non-violent resistance to corrupt governments,” he had asserted.