According to Zee Media, Indian diplomatic missions have been keeping close tabs on ‘anti-India activities’ of some overseas Indians.
Zee Media has quoted ‘highly placed sources’ as saying that India has revoked long-term visas of some of the Indian-origin foreign nationals and also cancelled OCI cards of those who were allegedly involved anti-India activities.
According to these ‘sources’, “diplomatic missions are keeping an eye on Indian-origin students who get involved in abusive protests outside the embassies and high commissions situated in various foreign countries.”, Zee Media reported on Tuesday.
According to this report, the sources confirmed that in the event such people travel to India, they will be expatriated from the airport.
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This follows the news published in The Tribune that Indian-American billionaire Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, who has been helping the cause of farmers at the Singhu border, was not allowed to land in New Delhi on Saturday evening. Dhaliwal, who had flown in from Chicago, was allegedly told at the Delhi airport he would not be allowed to enter India, despite carrying a valid visa.
In 2019, India revoked the OCI status of author and journalist Aatish Taseer, a staunch critic of the Modi government.
In 2018, Australian journalist of Indian origin, Amruta Slee was denied visa by the Indian government. In an article published by ABC, Ms Slee wrote, “We never got our visas. We haven’t had an official explanation. We did receive some strange emails: requests to send a list of who we would talk to and offers to have someone accompany us around Delhi. There are troubling questions about what this means for Australian journalism. But that’s not all that’s at stake.”
However the Consulate General of India, Sydney tweeted in a response to Ms Slee’s article, “Delay in issuing visas to ABC news team has nothing to do with the issues mentioned in this article. ABC news journalists violated Indian visa rules recently by engaging in activities which were not declared at the time of applying their visas.”
We have approached Indian High Commission in Australia for a comment and their response is awaited.
This article is dishonest in the way it highlighted Atish Taseers OCI status rejection. The author makes it out like his OCI card was rejected because he was a staunch critic of the Modi Govt. The real reason is that Aatish Taseer lied about his OCI application. His Biological father is Salman Taseer – A Pakistani national (now deceased). Aatish was simply not eligible for the OCI status and he lied on his application to obtain it. Aatish Ali Taseer hid the truth hence becomes ineligible to hold an OCI card as per the Citizenship Act, 1955. He has clearly not complied with very basic requirements and hidden information. He is free to enter on a normal Visa – like every other person who is ineligible for the OCI status.
Please rectify your article – it smacks of bias against the Indian govt. Surely the author of this article could have been aware of what I just pointed out – its public knowledge.
Wrong. This is what AATISH TASEER wrote:
The letter from the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs arrived in September 2019. My mother sent me a WhatsApp message of the letter, informing me that the Government of India was revoking my Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI). India doesn’t recognize dual nationality and the OCI – a permanent visa for persons of Indian origin – is the nearest equivalent to dual citizenship and provided to millions of Indians around the world. I had 21 days to respond and to contest their claims; it was day 20 when I had received the letter. If I didn’t respond it would be presumed I had nothing to say in the matter and my OCI would be cancelled. I responded by email immediately to contest their claims, with the Indian Consul General of New York acknowledging receipt, and a hard copy of which was delivered to the Home Ministry. Then, on November 7, after The Print reported that my status was under review, the government announced via Twitter that my OCI status had been withdrawn. This was the first I heard of it.
Taseer may say what he wants the world to hear. It don’t change facts that he obtained his OCI without disclosing his dad was a Pak, which voids his application and the OCI.
Is it a crime to support farmers protest. Which has been peaceful with no anti india bias. Yes it is against laws enacted by current govt. Denying entry on basis of being farmers supporter is actually anti India.
Over the past 2 years we have seen under the banner of farmers protest there are heaps of Khalistani gangs who are involved in anti India activities. They just not only hate Modi they hate India, they hate Indian culture to the extent they have burned and trampled Indian flags. The Khalistani gangs are not only involved in hate mongering against India and Indians they have destroyed the businesses of Indians by boycotting the shops and threatening anyone going to these shops. The gurudwara has become the centre of anti Indian activities. The Khalistani gang were also involved in protests and street fights with people of Indian origin whereby the gang has plotted against an Indian student who was sent to jail on false charges later released after the charges were dropped after 7 months. When the sikh community immigrates to the western world unfortunately they fall prey to the khalistani mind set which has overtaken most of the sikh community in its bossom.