The Indian government has released a statement regarding the arrest and deportation of the British Labour parliamentarian Debbie Abrahams, clarifying that her e- business visa had been revoked 3 days and she was trying to enter India through an invalid visa.
Debbie Abrahams said that she had got the e- visa for a time period of 1 year in october 2019. She questions how it can be possible that her visa got invalid if its term period is not over.
It is clear that the government has revoked her e-visa because she was a critic of the Indian government as the government has curbed human rights in Kashmir after the revocation of Article 370 from kashmir.
After the revocation of article 370 in August 2019, Mrs. Debbie Abrahams, who is the chairperson of the United Kingdom’s All- party parliamentary group on kashmir, raised the issue of human rights curbation in kashmir by the Indian government, in the british parliament. It can be harmful to Indian interests that a country can revoke a Visa issued for 12 months in just 4 months. The whole incident was nothing short of maladroit.
However, it is in the governments limit that it can revoke the Visa of any suspected person. But if the intention of the government was to prevent public criticism of its actions in Jammu and Kashmir, then its treatment of the British MP has ended up having spotlighted its action.
Similar comments can aslo be made in the case of the American Congresswoman, Mrs. Parmila Jaypal, who was a proponent of the resolution brouht in the house critical of India’s behaviour on Jammu and Kashmir. Mr. S. Jaishankar, Indian minister of external affairs, when went to America in December, denied to meet Ms. Parmilla Jaypal. He must have engaged with her at the meeting with the influential House Foreign Affairs Committee and tell her about the efforts done by the indian government to maintain peace and normalcy in Kashmir after the revocation of article 370.
Government is hopefully thinking about the fact that both these parliamentarians are from the opposition parties of the UK and USA, and ignoring their concern will not impact India’s relation with the Boris Johnson government and Trump government.
However, for the government like those of Malaysia and Turkey which are openly criticising Indian government on various international platforms, the Indian government is equally sharp.
India has imposed trade restriction on the palm oil imports from Malaysia. India has also issued a travel advisory to its citizens travelling to Turkey and has also told about its objection to the Turkish ambassador regarding Turkey’s comments in India’s internal affairs.
But, the anger expressed by the Indian Government on the negative comments by the Malasiyan and Turkey’s executive head on India’s internal matters doesn’t seem very much valid when at the same time organising groups of envoys to visit Kashmir and encouraging them to express positive opinion on the situation of Jammu and Kashmir.
It all shows that the government is not ready for criticism and is trying to suppress dissent, be it at international level or from the people of this country. The deportation of politicians who are critical of the Indian government, seems to be a part of a whimsical behaviour not suited to a democracy which takes pride in its tradition of debate and openness.
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