World chess champion Vishwanathan Anand. A PTI picture.

Hyderabad, Aug 24 (PTI): A move to confer an honorary doctorate on world chess champion Vishwanathan Anand was today embroiled in a raging controversy over his citizenship, forcing him to decline the honour at least for now.

After the Union Human Resource Development Ministry raised doubts over the nationality of Anand, who holds an Indian passport but lives in Spain, the University of Hyderabad had to delay the function to confer the honour on him.

With his ministry's name figuring in the controversy, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal spoke to Anand and is understood to have urged him to accept the award.

But after media reported the delay, the University of Hyderabad today decided to confer the doctorate to Anand at a function tonight.

'We are ready to award the honorary doctorate to Anand.'