From The Indian Express · Nikhila Henry · · 2m
Congress summit visa row divides India
Foreign speakers denied entry to Bharat Summit in Hyderabad as Congress and BJP clash over the event's purpose.
In brief
Foreign speakers denied entry to Bharat Summit in Hyderabad as Congress and BJP clash over the event's purpose. Congress says the Centre denied visas to over one hundred speakers at its Bharat Summit in Hyderabad; the government says visa decisions are sovereign functions. Originally reported by The Indian Express.
Congress claims visa denials at summit
Congress and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said several speakers invited to the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad were denied entry or had visas cancelled by the Centre.
Tharoor: 115 of 315 speakers blocked
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor claimed that one hundred fifteen of three hundred fifteen speakers were not allowed to reach India for the two-day summit that began Friday.
Revanth Reddy: silencing critical voices
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs stopped people who question Prime Minister Narendra Modi from reaching the country.
“I don't understand why the BJP is worried about diverse oppositional voices. Narendra Modi thinks he is a dictator who can stifle all voices.”
MEA: visa decisions are sovereign
Randhir Jaiswal, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, said visa matters are sovereign functions of any country or government, offering no further comment on the denials.
“Visa matters are sovereign functions of any country or any government.”
BJP calls it anti-India summit
Union Minister and Telangana BJP leader G Kishan Reddy said the summit was meant to bring together forces critical of India and questioned Congress leadership's motives.
Rahul Gandhi to address summit Saturday
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, will attend the summit Saturday and unveil the Telangana policy on gig and platform workers.
Norwegian journalist denied entry
Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng, invited to speak on media and press freedom, claimed she was denied entry despite having a visa and political clearance from the Indian Embassy in Norway.
“I got a visa to India and was supposed to leave this morning to attend the Bharat Summit in Hyderabad. But 'orders from above' in the Ministry of Home Affairs have cancelled my visa.”
Summit precedes Invest Telangana event
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said the Bharat Summit is a precursor to the Invest Telangana Global Summit, scheduled for December in Hyderabad, creating a platform for global discussion.
Around one thousand participants expected
Approximately one thousand people from India and seventy other countries were to participate in the summit, covering subjects ranging from climate change to infrastructure to investment.
The essence
Congress says the Centre denied visas to over one hundred speakers at its Bharat Summit in Hyderabad; the government says visa decisions are sovereign functions.
